


Fullmetal Geass

by Miki_chan13



Category: Code Geass, Code Geass Spinoffs and Lost Colors, Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Cameos and character appearance from Code Geass Spinoffs and Lost colors, Cameos and character appearances from FMA merchendise, Crossover, Gen, post zero requiem
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:24:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miki_chan13/pseuds/Miki_chan13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mysterious young man appeared in Central after an earthquake, with no memory of his life before waking up in a hospital. He is placed the care of the Fullmetal alchemist, traveling across Amestris by his side...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: a new story begins

The ground began shaking at around 7:00 PM.

What the cause was, no one knew. People crouched down in the safest place they could think of, others covering their heads while children clung to their guardians in fear and soldiers tried to keep order as they evacuated their personal and citizens to safe locations. Buildings shook and some crumbled, but they kept standing. Then, after only about a few minutes later, it ended.

"Wha- what the heck was that?!" Edward Elric grimaced as he tried to get back up from where he fell during the earthquake, nearly falling back down again. His whole body felt like jell-o and his head was still ringing from the loud rumbling.

"I don't know," Alphonse Elric said as he got up too, steadying his brother and himself.

"Well, what ever it was, it's over now-" the blond began.

**Crackle.**

Ed's sentence was cut off by the noise and the blond looked behind himself. His molten gold eyes widened.

 _"RUN AL!"_ he screamed as he grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him forward before the armored boy began running too.

A crater had opened up in the street, spreading and bigger-ing over the concrete, a red light surrounding it. It stopped expanding a few seconds later. The two brothers gaped, shell-shocked.

"Again: what the heck was that?!" Ed asked, officially freaked out.

The two then walked slowly to the edge of the crater to look at it. It was about a few yards deep and in diameter, or at least that's what the brothers estimated.

"Brother look! There's someone down there!" Al exclaimed, pointing to the bottom.

They quickly ran to the bottom and ran the the injured. The person's clothing might have been white at one time, but now the clothing was dyed crimson with blood, with multiple tears in the fabric. They were lying on their back so Ed and Al could clearly see their face.

Black hair framed their face and was down to the nape of their neck. The features on their face were delicate and the expression serene. Amethyst eyes were half-opened and almost glazed over.

"Hey! Are you okay? Stay with us!" Ed exclaimed as he propped the person's head into his arms.

Their eyes twitched slightly as they gazed at the alchemist, their eyes meeting Ed's golden ones before they fluttered shut.

An image of his mother flashed before Ed's eyes, when she was on death's doors. Her dark blue eyes were half-closed as she looked lovingly at the brothers, and when she closed them-

_They never opened again._

"No no no! Stay awake, you need to stay awake! We'll get help and you'll be okay, okay?!" Ed nearly shouted, gripping their hand tightly.

"Al! Get help, now!" the golden-haired boy snapped at the armored boy.

Al nodded and quickly got out of the crater to seek aid.

"So you're here too, Fullmetal?"

Ed looked up to see Roy Mustang standing over him.

"What-"

"Stand back," Mustang ordered, setting on his white glove with the transmutation circle.

"Hey, what are you trying to do, fry them?!" Ed snapped.

Mustang paid him no attention as he knelt by the person and snapped his fingers as softly as he could, flames billowing out weakly. After about a few seconds, Mustang pulled back, revealing to have seared the wound shut.

"Oh. Uh, okay," Ed muttered avoiding the older male's eyes.

A few minutes later, some medics came down and quickly loaded the young person onto a stretcher and into a medical car. Ed rode along side them, keeping an eye on the other. Without even realizing, he gripping their hand, delicate and with long thin fingers in his smaller and rougher hand.

_Please live, okay?_

* * *

 

After they had brought the person to the nearest hospital and Ed officially ordered the doctors to save them, he and Al had been waiting outside of the room where the doctors and patient were. Mustang was already gone to report the situation to the Fuhrer President.

"Damn it! It's been hours since we brought that kid here! What are they doing in there anyways?!" Ed snapped impatiently.

"What are you talking about, Ed? It's only been about thirty minutes," Al said, looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Wait really? Huh... " Ed said, sheepishly. Just then, the doctor and nurses came out. Ed immediately shot over to the doctor.

"Well?! Are they okay?" he snapped impatiently.

If that person died, then so help him- !

"Don't worry about your friend. He's sleeping now and will make a full recovery," The doctor informed the alchemist.

"Seriously? That's great!" Ed sighed with relief.

"However, there is definitely something strange going on with him."

Ed and Al looked at the doctor at this. "What is it?" They both asked.

"You said that he was bleeding from a sword-like wound in his stomach, correct?"

"Yeah, no doubt about that, doc. I saw the blood and I saw it _coming out of him,_ " Ed stressed the last four words.

"And Colonel Mustang seared the wound shut," Al added.

"I don't doubt you" the doctor said, "but when we examined the wound, all there was were some minor burning and next to no evidence of a wound being there previously. And on top of that, there was almost no blood loss visible as far as we could tell."

Ed and Al stared, shock clearly visible on Ed's face, and while Al was shocked, no one could tell.

_"How is that possible?!"_

"Brother, don't yell. I'm surprised by this, too," Al said softly, gripping his older sibling's shoulder.

Ed took a few breaths to calm himself down before looking back at the doctor. "Okay, um... don't to breathe a word of this to anyone, okay?" Ed said to the doctor.

This was his second time using the oh-so useful major-equivalent status.

"Yes sir" the doctor said. "Oh, one more thing; we found a single item on him. It's on the table."

"You didn't have to call me-!" but the doctor already left.

"-sir." Ed sweat-dropped.

He really wasn't used to giving orders and even less used to being called "sir".

"What now, brother?" Al asked.

Ed didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it as softly as he could and turned around. The young man was sleeping on the hospital bed, looking much better than when Ed saw him. Walking over to the the table by the bed, Ed picked up the item.

It was a device he had never seen before. It was pale teal shaped like two small rectangle held together by a hinge. Ed opened up the device, revealing a bunch of small buttons and a silver pad with four arrows on the bottom half and a blank looking square on the upper half.

"Just what the heck is this thing supposed to be?" Ed wondered aloud, closing it again. It was then he noticed a small white heart-locket with a golden pattern across it attached to the device by a small chain.

Curious, Ed opened the small locket. A soft melody began playing from it. He didn't know why, but Ed found himself trying to hold back tears. The melody was sweet, but at the same time, so sad. He closed the locket, cutting off the music, and wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He set it back on the table, hoping that he didn't disturb the other male.

"Mmm..."

Ed perked up at the small moan, turning to the young man. He winced before opening up his eyes. They looked up at the ceiling before glancing over at Ed.

"Uh, hey. You gave me a pretty bad scare a while ago. I thought you were gonna die," He said after a moment, attempting to break the ice.

The young man remained silent, his eyes never leaving Ed's. The awkwardness in the air was so thick, you could cut it.

"So, um, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Ed finally asked.

The young man frowned as if thinking before finally replying. "I... I don't know. Rather... I don't remember."


	2. Revelations: shedding light on the demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, those who betrayed the demon and those who helped him are given the truth. But what will they do afterwards?

The shock was palpable.

CC, Nunnally, Zero (Suzaku), Kallen, Ohgi, Tamaki, Tohdoh, Chiba, Cornelia, Guilford, Villeta, Nina, Li Xingke, Kaguya, Gino, Anya, Jeremiah, and Sayoko all stood around in the throne room.

"And that's what happened," Nunnally finished.

Kallen clenched her teeth, fighting back her tears. The truth was out now. Lelouch wasn't a demon. Hell, he was the farthest thing from it. He had lied to them all so that he could save the world from itself.

"It's my fault. If I only stayed by his side, if I only defended him-!" the red-head choked before Gino wrapped his arms around her, a pained expression on his face.

"You can't blame yourself, Kallen," Ohgi said, looking sick with himself as he clutched Villeta's arm for support. "We knew next to nothing about Geass. We didn't even bother to think that he didn't have used it on us because we already followed him. We jumped right on it and betrayed him. You at least tried to stop us, but we didn't listen," the afro-man chocked, tears filming his eyes.

"Damn right it's your faults." CC's body was slumped over, her hair hiding her face, her tone completely deflated. Lelouch's death had hit her harder than anyone else. She knew him better than any of them, after all.

Tamaki angrily punched the wall by him, tears already falling. "Damn it all! I'm sorry, Lelouch! I'm sorry for doubting you!" he yelled in anguish.

"My husband- oh, Oni..." Kaguya whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Cornelia and Guilford said nothing but pained expressions clouded their faces. Cornelia could not forgive Lelouch for killing Euphie, but now that she knew that he never meant to do so, that he had loved her so much, she didn't know what to think.

Tohdoh frowned; he was crossed between angy with Lelouch for choosing death in such a way and angry with himself for letting himself be so blinded by paranoia.

Jeremiah and Sayoko expressions were solemn, for they were bound to obey their master, even if it meant following him to hell.

Nina said nothing, her head bowed; even though she knew of the truth behind Princess Euphemia's actions, it didn't lessen the blow that one of her dearest friends was her murderer.

Even Anya looked down.

"How long have you known this? " Xingke asked softly.

Nunnally shook her head. "I didn't find out until he showed me."

CC glanced up at this. "What do you mean 'showed you'?" she asked.

"When he," she began, swallowing thickly, "fell from the dais and landed by me, I took his hand in my own. See, I can tell when people are lying by feeling his pulse. Only, I saw images. I saw everything. His actions, his motivations, his plans, his true intentions."

Nunnally's eyes filled with tears. "Why did he do it? I never asked for this, ever. Why couldn't he just tell us what was going on? Did he really have such little faith in everyone... even me?" she asked, her voice chocking at the end.

_"Heh..."_

The noise caused them all to look back at CC. Her body was quivering slightly and at first glance, it seemed she was sobbing. But when they listened closer, they realized it was _laughter._

CC was laughing so hard that her entire body was shaking and tears were pricking the corners of her eyes. Kallen winced as she remembered the night after they had rescued Tohdoh. Lelouch's laughter had sent chills down her spine, because it was everything a laugh wasn't; it was the sound of _breaking._

But this laughter was everything that a laugh was supposed to be like: happy, ecstatic, relieved.

"CC?" Nunnally asked worriedly, wheeling over to the green-haired witch's side, only to then be scooped up into a hug by her.

"This is the best news I've heard in my existence! Oh, why didn't you say so sooner?!" CC cried happily, planting a kiss on the Empress's cheek as she spun them both around.

Everyone stared in shock. None of them had ever CC act like this. Those who had seen her had never seen her happy unless she was eating pizza and even then-

"I can't believe I didn't see this coming, how could I have not seen this coming?! Oh, I've never been so happy to be an idiot!"

"Wha-wha-what are you talking about?!" Nunnally exclaimed, clinging onto CC so she wouldn't fall.

CC then stopped twirling around and set Nunnally back in her wheel chair. Her composure was back but there was an excited smile on her face now. "Lelouch, he's alive." she said breathlessly.

...

 _"WHAT?!"_ The rest of the inhabitants in the room exclaimed.

Kallen then grabbed CC's collar, growling, "I swear to God, if you're pulling our legs-"

"I'm not, I'm not~" CC was giggling at this now and Kallen was finding it pretty creepy.

"Then why are you saying he's alive? We all saw Suzaku stab him through the heart, there's no way he could have survived that," Xingke said, ignoring Suzaku's flinch.

CC took a deep breath and stopped giggling, her expression now more serious. "Just listen to what I have to say and DON'T interrupter, understand?" she said, stressing the "don't".

After she was sure everyone was paying attention, CC began.

"Before I explain how he's alive, you all have to hear this. Lelouch isn't the only person in his family to have Geass. Charles Zi Brittania and Marianne Vi Brittania also had Geass. Charles's was to rewrite memories-"

She turned to the Black Knights. "That's what took Lelouch so long to show up. Charles had rewritten any of his memories that had to do with his family, the Black Knights, Zero and Geass. He also replaced any memories he had of Nunnally with Rolo in her stead."Marianne's was to move her consciousness into another mind and take over that person's mind with her own."

She turned to Anya. "Those gaps in your memory was Marianne's spirit manifesting itself, and even some of your techniques were results of her memory as a pilot, whether from intstinct or muscle memory."

"VV was jealous of the relationship that Charles and Marianne had, so he shot her and then Nunnally when she came down to see what was happening. When Marianne was on the brink of death and saw Anya watching them, she transferred her consciousness into her."

CC turned to Anya. "Those gaps in your memories was Marianne's spirit manifesting itself, whether from when she wanted to speak with me or to Charles. Even her skills show through you, incoporated into her mind and body from her will."

"Now it gets more complicated, so bear with me. Charles and his older brother had made a promise to create a world without lies because of the bloodshed they witnessed as children during the Emblem of Blood. His older brother became a code bearer, taking on the name VV and gave Charles his Geass, and when he met Marianne and brought her in on his plan, I gave her Geass as well. They planned to use a device called the Sword of Akasha, which in all terms aside, was a device that would kill 'God'. They were going to use Ragnarok, or the end of the world, to unite all humans living and dead as a single will. Charles believed that that was the best way to create a truly kind and gentle world. To initiate the system, he originally needed only one code, which would be provided by VV, but then he found out that in order to get it's full effect, two codes would be required. But I had already left the order by that time."

"Charles took his brother's code during the Black Knight's attack on the Geass Dictorate, an orginization that studied Geass and created living weapons out of the contractors. All he needed was my code to activate the Sword and the Ragnarok connection would take place. However, after hearing their plan fully explained, Lelouch denounced them both, saying that they were only doing this for themselves and that the world they would create would to stagnated, and 'forcing good intentions on other people is no different from an evil act'; those were his exact words. He used his own Geass on the sword, not to command, but to request that it would allow the world to continue to move forward. The World of C was influenced by his plea and the Sword was rendered nonoperational. Marianne and Charles were then absorbed by the World of C. In his fury, Charles tried to strangle Lelouch, but was absorbed before he could do any lasting damage."

"The only way to get the Code from a Code bearer is to kill them; the best way to do that is to make the Geass that the contractors possess as strong as possible. That way, they'll be able to take the Code. Since Lelouch caused Charles to become absorbed into the World of C, he is essentially the one who killed him; since he had VV's code at the time. The Code grants immortality and can only be activated once the Code bearer is killed once. So when Suzaku stabbed Lelouch, it must have activated the Code. Telepathy is also another perk of being a Code bearer."

"That's why he's alive."

The others stared at CC with a mix of shock, confusion, disbelief and enlightenment.

"So what you're saying is," Kallen said slowly, "is that not only is Lelouch alive, but he's immortal as well?"

"Exactly."

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go and get him out of that coffin!" Kallen exclaimed, a relieved smile spreading on her face.

"That, that would be a good idea," Nina agreed. The bespectacled young woman had never been so relieved. The faith she had put in her friend wasn't all too naught after all. The others began to brighten up as well.

"Hold on," Tohdoh said, expression serious and suspicious, "What are we supposed to do with him? What if he tries to re-lead the-"

"Haven't you been paying attention? At this time, he probably doesn't even have that on his mind now," Anya droned.

Tohdoh twitched but Xingke interrupted him. "She's right. After all that's happened, I doubt he'd want anything to do with any of us. Really, it's foolish of anyone to think that now."

Tohdoh looked crestfallen at this, being over-ruled by a foreigner and a child. Chiba patted him on the shoulder. "I don't think you're a fool."

Kallen's smile lessened; Xingke made a valid point. The Black Knights betrayed him, Nunnally rejected him, Suzaku killed him and she-

_I could have followed him. He gave me the choice. It was as simple as choosing between A or B. And I chose the wrong path._

"Maybe not but," she then raised her voice so they could all hear her, "we can help him. He may not accept it (and he would be totally justified in doing so), but's the least we can do after all he's done for us and how much we hurt him."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Gino agreed, hugging her closer.

Just then, the doors to the room burst open. Suzaku put back on the mask just in time. Two guards along with Schniezal and Kannon entered. Nunnally turned to Schniezal.

"What is it, brother?"

"Empress, something terrible has happened." Schniezal said, his expression unusually shell-shocked and ... afraid?

"What is it?"

"It's Lelouch vi Brittania's grave, it's-"

* * *

 

"Oh God."

Kallen's legs gave out, Gino's arms were the only things giving her support, his own expression was slowly warping into despair.

"No way-!" Tamaki choked.

Kaguya stared in utter shock, the tears trickling down even faster, Villeta and Ohgi shared twin expressions of horror.

Xingke and Tohdoh simply stared, bafflement the only emotion present on their faces. Jerimiah and Sayoko's lips were drawn in a thin line, teeth threatening to break the skin, eyes wide with startled surprise and growing anger.

Cornelia's fingers gripped Guilford's uniform tightly, forcing herself not to collapse, her knight also staring in shock.

Chiba, Nina, and Anya all looked startled. Suzaku's fists clenched, his body shaking. Nunnally nearly fainted on the spot.

The marble grave was shattered beyond repair, the ground torn up and the coffin empty. Blood splatters stood out against the green grass, white marble and mahogany wood. Nunnally knew how weak her brother was. She knew he couldn't have done this himself. But if he didn't get out himself, then-

_Where is my brother?! Who did this to him?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the cat's out of the bag.
> 
> I hate how quick they jumped he gun on Lelouch. They weren't even thinking. I expected that much out of Tamkai, but Ohgi and Tohdoh really let me down, I thought they had more sense than that!
> 
> Also, the explanation that CC gives just about killed me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The only thing I do remember is being in a lot of pain and then someone telling me not to die, that I was going to be okay... That was you?"  
> -  
> "You attempted Human Transmutation, didn't you? Alchemy's one and only unforgivable sin!"   
> -  
> "I meant it when I said I would help you."

Ed stared at the young man. "What do you mean you don't know and you remember?"

The young man frowned at the question. "I mean that I don't know what happened to me and even if I had, I don't remember now. I can't exactly put it any simpler than that."

"So, you seriously don't remember anything, at all?"

The young man shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded before pausing, a frown crossing his face.

"Actually, the only thing I do remember," his face became pale as he recounted, "is being in so much pain and then someone was telling me not to die, that I was going to be okay..."

He looked at Ed, realization in his eyes. "That was you?"

Ed nodded. "You were bleeding really badly. I'm amazed you're okay now, but I'm really glad too," the blond said, smiling slightly.

The young man looked confused. "Why? You don't know me and I don't know you, so why would you be concerned for a total stranger? It makes no sense."

Ed's eyes softened as he spoke. "I've seen death before and it's really sad. So that's why I'm glad that you're alive. And for another thing, you can't call us strangers now, because," with that he held out his hand to the young man, "I'm Edward Elric, or Ed, and it's nice to meet you."

The young man looked surprised at this but shook his hand anyways. Ed couldn't help noticing how thin the other was. If it weren't for the obvious lack of breasts, he would have mistaken him for a woman.

"Are you hungry at all?" he asked.

"A little, yes," the young man admitted.

"I'll get you some food. Can't promise it'll taste good, though," Ed replied before exiting the room.

A few minutes later, Ed came back in with a plate holding a sandwich and a glass bottle of milk, which he glared at all the meanwhile.

_I wanna help him, not poison him!_

The young man was fiddling with the object now, running his ( _Wow, those are thin,_ Ed thought) fingers over its surface and flipping it open and closing it again.

"I got your food," he announced.

The young man glanced up at Ed, putting down the phone and accepting the food from him.

"Thank you, Edward," he said polity.

"No problem."

The young man began eating, grimacing at the flavor of the sandwich but still finishing it before opened the bottle of milk and downing it in a few gulps. Ed stared incredulously as he did so.

This didn't escape the young man as he put down the empty bottle, asking, "What is it?"

"How can you drink that so quickly?" Ed asked, amazed.

"... are you talking about why I drank the milk so fast?"

"Yes, because it's a disgusting opaque white liquid that was secreted from _a cow's nipples_!" Ed snapped, gesturing to it with his hands, fingers curled up.

"When you put it like that, it would make it sound disgusting," the young man sweat-dropped.

"Exactly," Ed stated sagely.

"... Right; one question completely off-topic," the young man then picked up the object and showed it to Ed, "what is this?"

Ed shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me. The doctor said it was the only thing they found on you."

"I see..."

"Dd you find anything note-worthy on it at all?" Ed asked.

The young man nodded. "I found some letters on the back. Maybe they're my initials?" he said, showing it to Ed.

Two letters were on the back of the device, in neat and legible writing.

**LL.**

"I guess so. I wish they spelled out your whole name. I can't just call you LL or something like that," Ed said, lip pursing.

Silence filled the room again, both in thought. "You know, it doesn't sound too bad. In fact, LL sounds nice. Maybe even L2? It's not permanent, of course, just until I remember my own name," the young man said after a few moments.

Ed didn't like the sound of this. It didn't seem right just calling him LL.

Or L2.

_Still, it's the closest thing to this guy's real name and he probably doesn't want to be called anything else..._

"Okay, until we find your true name, you're officially dubbed LL!" Ed proclaimed, pointing at him.

The young man, or LL smiled at this before asking, "What's going to happen to me?"

Ed frowned at this. "That I don't know."

Just then, a knock came from the door and it opened a moment later, revealing Mustang. Ed's face turned sour as he saw him, but the colonel ignored the look.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, irritably.

"Firstly," Mustang looked very serious as he answered Ed, "for your next assignment: a rouge state alchemist is on the move in Central. The Fuhrer himself has asked that you help with the investigation. In other words," at this, he loomed over Ed, expression darkening, _"don't. Screw. This. Up. Full. Metal."_

"Right back at you, Col.," Ed muttered, scowl deepening.

"Also-"

At that, he turned to LL, a charming smile on his face as walked up to the young man's bedside, "-I cam over to see who you brought in."

LL began to look a little uncomfortable under the Col.'s gaze.

"And may I say, what a lovely young person you are," he said sweetly, taking LL's hand into his own and planting a light kiss on it.

"Hey Mustang, you know that LL's a guy, right?"

Mustang's eyes widened in surprise, his lips still on LL's hand, an incredulous look on said young man's face, his face turning red.

He quickly removed his lips from the skin, stiffly saying, "Er, sorry, LL."

"Uh, no problem. Just, don't do it again," LL said, sweat-dropping.

Mustang then opened the door and Ed followed after, but before he exited, Ed turned to LL one more time.

"You know, after this is over, I'd be happy to help you out; I've got the Military's funding in my hands, you know."

Mustang hand clamped Edward's mouth shut before dragging him out of the room, a bemused expression on his face.

* * *

LL sweat-dropped as he heard the beginnings of some very loud scolding down the hallway. He leaned back on his pillow, his gaze locked on the ceiling.

_I'm glad that Edward offered me some help. I don't think I'll be able to do much on my own here. I don't know where I am, why or how I got here, or even my name. All I have to go on is what Edward told me and those two letters._

He looked at the object on the table.

_Still, it could have been worse. I'm alive, at least, even if I don't have any memories. Not only that, but I'm in good hands here as well._

Edward's face flashed in his mind as he thought of this, a small smile gracing his lips.

_Yes, this isn't so bad..._

* * *

 

_He was inside something that looked like a clock. Gears were all around him, clunking, clinking and creaking._

What is this? Where am I?

_"L..."_

_A female voice echoed through the room, startling him. It was a pretty voice, soft and melodious. "Who's there?!"_ _he called._

_He continued to call but whoever it was, didn't answer again._

* * *

 

**(Chirp, chirp)**

LL opened his eyes, woken by the sound of birds chirping. Sunlight streamed through his window.

"Morning already?" LL said aloud as he stretched. He felt as if he barely slept.

He got out of bed, bare feet twitching slightly as they touched the cool floor. He steadied himself before walking to the door and opening it, looking out. The hallway was long, with other doors further out and on the opposite side. A few people, some nurses and some of the people who were wearing the same uniform as, whats-his-name, the man who flirted with him.

LL glanced down at his chest. The bandages that were wrapped around his chest were gone, the skin pale and unmarked. _They must have been taken off when I was asleep._

It was when he looked up that he noticed the note on the table by the bed. LL picked it up, barely able to read the handwriting.

LL, I'm going to be busy for pretty much all day. You can ask the nurses if you can walk a bit, but don't go outside. Like Colonel Useless says, there's a rouge alchemist on the run. I know you don't know what an alchemist is and I can't explain now because I only have so much time to write this, but this guy is dangerous. Don't go out until he's caught. I can't stress that enough. Ed. 

LL reread the note before setting it back down, groaning as he flopped on his bed. _So I'm supposed to stay here until they find this person?_ He was already bored and, according to the clock, it was barely noon.

 _Well, I can always go walking, like they said. At least it would give me something to do._ LL then exited the room and closed the door behind him. He memorized the room number quickly before going off.

He walked down the hallways, wandered the corridors, jogged (then walked after finding out he really didn't have the stamina for something that strenuous) and down the stairs before going back to his room.

Another thing he learned about himself was that whoever he was, he was really smart, as he was able to memorize the other door numbers, the locations of said doors and even the number of stairs. What really startled him was how little effort it took to do so.

Still, he wasn't complaining; this made things much easier for him. LL went back to his room, feeling a little better. _I wonder how much time has passed. Maybe it's already near evening._ LL checked the clock.

12:15.

LL's head thunked against the wall.

* * *

 

 _Screw this. Screw_ ALL _of this._

LL got off his bed and put on his robe. It was now evening and he had practically wasted the day away. He refused to waste anymore time like this.

Opening the door and looking to see that no one would stop him, L.L. closed the door behind him and crept down the hallway. He walked down the stairs and navigated the other hallways until he found the exit. He opened the door, taking one last look before exiting-

_COLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLD!_

That was what immediately registered into LL's mind as he stepped outside. He pulled the robe tighter around him and was about to go back in when the door slammed shut. He tried to open it, but it was, unfortunately one of the many doors that locked from the inside. LL pounded on it, but no one came.

 _Why is it so cold?!_ he thought, teeth chattering like crazy before he heard a loud scraping noise behind him.

Then he saw it.

A gigantic almost ship keel-like piece of ice going right by, rumbling and destroying anything in it's wake.

_This was probably why Edward told me to stay inside._

It was stupid, it was impulsive, he would note later, but LL began running after it. His slippered feet padded against the concrete as he ran after it, trying very hard to ignore the burning in his chest and legs.

_When this is over, I'll work out. I'll work out so I don't have to pause every five seconds just to catch my breath!_

"LL?!" A strong hand then grabbed his wrist and LL was forced to turn around and see Edward. "What the hell are you doing out here?! What part of-" his face then became screwed up before snapping, "-my note didn't you get?!"

"I- I was... bored," LL admitted softly, immediately feeling ashamed of such a lame reply.

"Damn it all- Come on! This is the only way to keep you safe!" Edward then grabbed LL's arm and ran after the iceberg, pulling the ravenet along.

"Do- do you mind explaining to me what's going on?" LL asked, already panting out of breath.

"The guy I'm supposed to help catch is trying to freeze over Central Command. It's basically the headquarters of the very top of the Amestrian Military and the government that dictates absolute law and chief command of all military operations, as well as where the ruler of Amestris resides."

_So that's the name of this country._

"And if he freezes it over...?"

"Yeah. So he's gotta be stopped and- damn it all, why are you so damned slow?!" Edward snapped as LL had to stop again to catch his breath.

After just a second, Edward then just hauled him onto his back piggy back style.

"Hey, put-!"

"Shut up! You're the one who's useless here, so no whining!" Edward cut him off irritably.

The blond ran down quickly, despite LL on his back and before long, another wall of ice started in intercept with the first. LL could vaguely make out a figure standing on it.

"Here, hang on tightly!"

Edward stopped and let LL plant his feet on the ground before he clapped his hands together and slammed them on the ground. "Not so fast, Popsicle Alchemist!" he bellowed at the figure.

The next thing LL realized was that they were going higher into the air at a very fast clip. Looking down, he saw that the ground beneath them was propelling them up. LL nearly let out a shriek as he saw how high they were going and actually did scream when the ground stopped and Edward jumped off and onto the ice.

LL was shaking all over now from shock, nausea, adreneline and the cold before he slid to his knees when Edward let go of him. He nearly had another heart attack when a suit of armor landed just a few feet in front of him.

The figure that he made out on the ground turned to them. It was a man who wore the same blue uniform as the colonel, but one of it's sleeves had been ripped off. He had black hair tied tightly back and lacked eyebrows. He slapped his hands down on the ice, causing it to become spikes and they came straight for them! LL instinctively tensed up but Edward then slapped his hands together and broke them off, shattering the ice that the Freezer Alchemist was on. A moment later, water came down on them, only it was boiling hot.

 _I thought he was called the Freezer Alchemist!_ LL thought, hissing in pain. Then, he landed right in front of them. LL nearly shrieked again. The man tried to grab Edward, but-

"Brother!" The armor grabbed him and pulled the blond backwards out of the way.

"Too slow!" The Freezer Alchemist barked, and grabbed the armor's head, his hand glowing red and evaporating the head under the armor headpiece and blowing said piece off.

"Alphonse!" Edward shouted as Alphonse fell backwards, his arms still wrapped around him. Then, Alphonse kicked him in the chin, flipping back on his feet. LL stared dumbfounded.

_I saw that man blow his head off, how is he still alive?!_

LL got back up, glancing on the side, trying to get a good look at the person under the armor.

It was empty. Completely hollow.

_How is that possible?!_

"The armor's empty? But that can only mean there's a soul bonded to it, how else could it talk?" the man exclaimed.

Edward slowly and almost, dare he think it, reverently picked up the head piece and handed it back to Alphonse, who screwed it back on. A pensive look crossed the man's face as he examined Edward and Alphonse. "You have a metal arm, and that brother of yours is a hunk of junk..."

Then, enlightenment, as well as an ugly sneer, crossed the Freezer Alchemist's face. "I see, so that's how it is! You fools committed the ultimate taboo!"

LL was now thoroughly confused. He had next to know idea- oh who was he fooling? He had no idea what they were talking about! "Edward, what does he-" LL began to ask but stopped when he saw Edward's face.

His expression was mingled with determination, surprise, and... fear?

"You attempted Human Transmutation, didn't you? Alchemy's one and only unforgivable sin!" The Freezer Alchemist accused, his sneer intensifying.

LL stared back at Edward as the pupil's in his eyes became filled with an almost raw look. "Ed... ward?" LL asked tentatively, placing a hand on his arm, only to be assaulted by sharp images.

* * *

 

_The smell of sickly sweet metal filled the air. Blue electricity danced around before it disappeared. A scream of pain rent the space. Two small hands, smeared with blood were resting, no, clenching the floor beneath them, which had white chalk drawn on it._

_"This can't- this can't be happening!" a child's sobbing voice chocked out. He looked behind himself._

_"No!"_

_The boy's leg was missing from the knee down, leaving only a bloody, not even a stump, cut off of his leg._

_"He's gone! What have I done?!"_

_A clang as a suit of armor clattered to the floor._

_"Give him back!" The child drew a mark on the armor with his own blood._

_"He's my brother!" The child's face, no, Edward's face, eyes gleaming with determination and tears and expression raw._

"GIVE ME BACK ALPHONSE! HE'S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT!"

_He clapped his hands together, the blue electricity appearing once more..._

* * *

 

LL drew back, the energy in his body seemed to be drained as he slumped down on the ice, still gripping Edward's arm. What had he just seen? How had he seen that? He looked back at Edward, whose upper face was shadowed.

_"You know, there are really some lines you shouldn't cross."_

Edward shot over to the other Alchemist, delivering a punch to the gut and a cross-handed blow to the head, knocking him down. He growled and created more spikes, nearly impaling Edward, but Alphonse chopped them away before kicking him in the head, knocking him off the top and bounced down onto the street. Alphonse slid down and Edward allowed LL to hold onto him arm before sliding down. LL was pretty certain he would have broken something should he had done it on his own. Edward and Alphonse approached the Freezer Alchemist, who was lying face down, blood trickling from the wound in his shoulder.

"Give it up," Edward said as the man tried to get up. "There's no water for you to use here."

The man chuckled lowly. "You forgot, I have all the water I need; all 70% percent of it from my body!"

Then, red tendrils shot out from the Freezer Alchemist's wound, piercing Edward's left shoulder.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried, slashing the tendrils in half. Edward sunk to one knee, his hand clutching the wound.

"Edward!" LL immediately ran to his side, trying examine the wound, nearly sick when he saw the solid blood stuck in Edward's skin like a spike. The Freezer Alchemist stumbled onto his feet, an exasperated scowl on his face.

"Why can't you fools understand? I'm trying to save this country!" he snapped.

At that moment, more ice came over and began to coat the building in front of them. The man began to laugh, the cackles growing in volume and insanity as he limped away. LL didn't care. What mattered was the blond currently bleeding in front of him.

"Brother. Brother?" Alphonse asked worriedly.

"Are you all right?" LL asked softly.

"I'm fine. We're going after him," Edward said determinedly before pulling out the blood spike, causing more of the red coppery liquid to splatter from his shoulder wound onto the cement. "I'm not done. Not even close."

Alphonse and LL helped Edward to his feet and the three of them went off to the direction that the Freezer Alchemist went. LL could hear distant explosions and collisions and scraping of ice almost all around.

"He ran in here, I can see his blood!" Edward said as the three neared an alley.

As they turned to run through it, LL nearly ran into the alley wall.

* * *

 

_An old man, with golden hair and eyes, face with wrinkles and a bored expression looked up, before closing his eyes, as if to sleep._

* * *

LL shook his head to clear the image. He didn't know why, but he instantly didn't like whoever that man was. He noticed Edward's surprised expression, prompting LL to look up. A few officers were already in the alley, along with an old man with a black mustache and eye patch over his left eye and a brown carp over what LL presumed to be the Freezer Alchemist body.

"Fuhrer Bradley, you're here too?" Edward asked the old man.

He smiled softly. "Ah yes. Job well done, Fullmetal."

"Is that...?"

"Furhur President King Bradley, the head of the military," Edward replied.

"Why is such an important man out here?" LL asked without thinking. Edward stared at him in horror before jumping on him and clapping a metal hand over his mouth. But King Bradley just smiled.

"I came to see if I could lend a hand. And to think that I would be the one to catch him! If nothing else, this should make an exciting story for my son." Edward visibly relaxed, removing his hand from LL's mouth. The young man grimaced at the metallic taste.

* * *

 

The next day, it was LL who visited Edward in the hospital, his wound dressed and looking much better than before. Since LL's wounds had healed without incident and his other tests proved okay (besides the abnormal lack of muscles), he was discharged.

"I'm glad you're better, Edward," LL said truthfully.

"Thanks, LL," Edward said.

At that, Alphonse said to Edward, "You know, we never found out if he was had a-"

Edward shot Alphonse a glance and Alphonse stopped talking. LL shook his head. "Please continue. I have no idea what you guys are talking about anyways."

"... Good point."

"We never found out if he was using it, brother," Alphonse re-started.

Edward shrugged. "No, but maybe it'll say something in the official report."

Just then, the door slammed open. All three turned to see a hulking blond man with a curly mustache and blue uniform enter holding a bouquet of roses. "Greetings Edward Elric. When I heard you were in the hospital, _I JUST RAN OVER!"_ he shouted, with what seemed to be _pink sparkles_ hovering all around his face.

Edward and Alphonse looked pretty freaked out, and LL just stared, wondering who the man was before them and why he wasn't in an asylum.

"And as I suspected," the man said as he set down the roses, "you're in desperate need of my assistance! Nna ha!" With that, the man took off his top, revealing the most muscle bound torso LL had ever seen. Simultaneous horrified yelps came from Edward and Alphonse. The young man felt a bit sick.

"You need the example of a perfect physical specimen to inspire your recover! You see?! You're looking livelier already!"

 _"WILL YOU GET OUT?!"_ Edward practically screamed.

* * *

"Is he... always like that?" LL asked weakly.

"Yeah," Edward groaned before LL noticed Alphonse looking at him.

"Brother and I asked to go through the records of the people in Amestris and tried to find out who you were," he said. LL sat up straighter at this. "Did you find anything?"

Edward shook his head before Alphonse could reply. "There wasn't anyone who was remotely related or even resembled to you. And there haven't been any reports of anyone resembling you that's missing. And... it doesn't even seem that you're even from Amestris in the first place. There have never been anyone with the physical traits ever existing in this country."

LL said nothing as he looked down, hands gripping his pants tightly; he felt sick and so very alone. _No friends or family to call on, and this isn't even where I'm from. What- what on earth do I do now?_

"LL."

The young man looked up as Edward addressed him.

"When I said I would help you, I meant it," Edward said, grasping LL's shoulder. "If you need anything, just tell us."

LL stared, he couldn't help it. He, a stranger, with no past he could remember, not even a name to go by, in a foreign land, yet, this boy he barely knew was showing him such kindness! It was then LL made _the_ decision.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"... could I please come with you and Alphonse? I- I don't know anything about alchemy or human whatever-it's-called, but I want to help you both however I can. Please. It's the least I can do for you both."

LL's eyes drifted back to the ground, feeling very foolish now. There was no way Edward would say yes, he knew. Whatever they were trying to do, they probably did it by themselves, with no one else.

"... I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us." LL looked up, completely shocked. Edward smiled softly. "You don't have anywhere to go or anyone to rely on. So I thought to ask you to join us until you find what you're looking for."

_Edward!_

LL smiled, his face lighting up. "Yes... thank you, so much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, each chapter will more or less consist of part of an FMA volume, with some elements of brotherhood, the original anime and some of the games thrown in.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I know from experience hospital food is FOUL. When I hurt my back fron falling off a swingset backwards about six feet in the air, I stayed in the hospital for three days. Their food made me gag and I was so grateful when my mom brought over some pizza for me.


	4. Reole: exposing the fraud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faith is a powerful motivator; it's what makes someone believe, someone hope, someone follow. But what makes it dangerous is how it can blind, how it can derail, how it can be used to corrupt.

**"Children of God, who dwell on the Earth, there is no salvation without prayer and faith. The Sun God Leto will illuminate thy path. Behold! The Lord hath descended from his heavenly throne to save thee from all thy sins. For I am thy father; I am the emissary of the Sun God-"**

"A religious broadcast on the radio?"

"'Emissary of the sun God'? What the heck is that?"

"..."

The old shopkeeper managing the bar looked at them curiously. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you guys: are you street performers or something?"

Edward nearly coughed up his drink at this, Alphonse said nothing and LL looked up from the newspaper he was reading. It had been barely tw days. Two days since LL and Edward had been discharged from the hospital. Two days since that man, King Bradley put him under Edward's supervision for the time being until they foudn any more information about him. Two days since his life, or what was left of it, began.

"What about us makes you think we're street performers, pops?" Edward asked, balancing the straw to his drink in his mouth.

"Well, what else could you be?" the old shopkeeper asked.

Okay, that stung a little. Sure, he reasoned, Edward in his red coat and Alphonse as a giant suit of metal looked strange, but did he, LL, look as comical? He wore a white button up shirt, brown coat that reached nearly to his knees and black pants and shoes. _I think that looks pretty bland._

"I haven't' seen your faces around here before. On a trip?" the old man asked.

"Yeah, we're tracking down something. Oh by the way, what's this broadcast all about?" Edward asked at the last part, looking at the radio positioned at the top of the diner's roof.

The old man looked very surprised. "You've never heard of Father Cornello?"

"None of us have heard of this man," LL said.

That statement seemed to draw townspeople all around the three, all of them praising this Father Cornello. "He's the founder of the church of Leto. He can work miracles!" "He's a wonderful man who came down to Reole a few years ago and showed us all the way the way of God!"

"Yeah, he's amazing!"

"They're real miracles, the work of God!"

LL was slightly interested at this. The only ones that would dare use God's name like this man would only be if he were the real thing, or if he was just confidant in his abilities as a liar. _It's most likely the latter._

"... are you even listening, kid?"

Edward was slouching on the bar, looking completely disinterested in all of what was going on. "Nope, agnostic."

He got up from his stool, leaving his dirty and empty dishes behind. "Thanks for the eats," he said to the man before turning to the others. "Let's go, you two."

LL wanted to hear more about this Cornello, but seeing is how he was pretty much useless on his own, he put his book back in the satchel around his left shoulder and got up along with Alphonse.

**CRASH!**

Alphonse's frame bumped the diner's sign and the radio crashed to the ground, shattering. The shop keeper let out a startled yelp. "Oops," Alphonse said sheepishly.

"Will you please try to be a bot more careful, sir?! Frankly you shouldn't be wearing such a bulky suit-"

"Our bad, we'll fix it right away," Alphonse cut off the shopkeeper.

"You're going to fix it? But it's completely destroyed!"

"Just sit back and watch," Edward said.

Alphonse then drew a transmutation circle around the broken parts and stepped out, holding his hands over it. "Here we go!"

The next second, blue electricity crackled around the circle and a blinding light came around what was left of the radio. The next moment, both the light and the electricity disappeared, leaving a fully repaired radio in their wake. The people stared in total shock.

"How 'bout them apples?" Edward asked, pointing to it, which the broadcast had resumed on.

"Th-that's amazing! Are you Father Cornello's apprentices? Is that how you did this miracle?!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.

"'Miracle'? We're just alchemists. Maybe you've heard of us, we're the Elric brothers," Edward said.

"The Elric brothers, you say?" the shopkeeper said, looking confused for a moment.

"Wait, I do know that name!" a man said, realization on his face.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, is that right?!"

At that, the people began crowding around Alphonse, leaving Edward and LL to the side. They were all in awe of the "Fullmetal Alchemist". LL glanced over at Edward, who had a smug expression on his face, as if waiting for the people to come over to him.

 "Um no, it's not me, it's him!" Alphonse cried over the hubbub.

The people looked over to the two. "It's that lovely lady over there? But Edward's a male name!"

And my pride as a man takes a steep plummet downwards. "No, him!" LL stated, pointing over to the blond.

"... what, you mean the little guy right there?"

It was as if a storm broke loose. "WHO'S 'LITTLE'?! COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, I DARE YA!" Edward roared as his voice seemingly sent the people flying away from him. LL winced from the volume of the blond's voice, ears still ringing. He was pretty sure if Edward had shouted that any nearer to him, he would have gone deaf.

"I'm the younger brother, Alphonse Elric. And that guy is our companion, LL," Alphonse explained.

"Hello," LL said rather lamely.

"It's me! I'm the Fullmetal alchemist, Edward Elric!" Edward all but snarled, pointing at himself.

"S-sorry..." they mumbled.

"Good day, sir. My, you're busy today, huh?" LL looked in the direction of the voice. It was a young woman around his age with brown hair, pink highlights in her parted bangs, dark brown eyes and a white dress, carrying a paper bag.

"Oh hello Rose, the usual?" the shopkeeper asked, recovering rather quickly from a few seconds ago.

"Yes please. Thank you," Rose said as she paid for her items before putting them in her bag and noticing the three of them. "Oh, some new faces," she remarked brightly.

"Yeah, they're alchemists, trying to search for something," the shopkeeper said before they could speak.

Rose smiled brightly at them. "I hope you find what you're searching for. May Leto bless you!" she said before going off.

"She's become so bright lately. and it's all thanks to Father Cornello," a man said softly.

"Why? What made her sad?" LL asked before he could stop himself.

A multitude of voices began answering at once. "Not only does she have no family, but she lost her boyfriend a year ago."

"It was hard to see her so sad. I felt really bad for her."

"That's when she was saved by Father Cornello. He taught her about the path of Leto!"

"Preach on! He grants immortality to the living, resurrection to the dead (Andbacontoboth) Cornello's miracles prove it!"

"'Raise the dead'? I don't like the sound of that..." Edward said softly.

Neither did LL. The more he heard of this, the more it sounded like a scam that this Cornello was pulling. And should that be the case...

Rose's happy smile flashed before LL's eyes. _She'd be heartbroken. I wouldn't be surprised if she chose to end it all then and there._

**"I tell you, pray and have faith. All thy prayers will be answered..."**

* * *

It was beautiful, LL had to admit. The church was large and spacious, with rows of pews made of polished but plain wood. Edward was looking over his notes and Alphonse was just sitting. LL was looking up at the stature of Leto in front of him.

Leto was a man with a crown on his long wavy hair and a simple tunic. In his right hand was a staff and on either side of him was an angle. The expression on his face was grave and wise, yet kind. I can see why this Cornello would claim to be this guy's emissary. He looks just like God would if he looked like that.

* * *

 

_Fire danced around a woman with lime green hair and butter yellow eyes as she screamed in agony._

* * *

The young man's legs had given out from the shock and he fell to his knees, hand gripping the pew as he breathed deeply and shakily in and out, sweat dripping down his face. Alphonse gripped his shoulder, helping the young man back up.

"Are you okay?" the armored boy asked gently.

LL didn't know what to say. He was very shaken, but he was slowly recovering from the shock, so he simply nodded mutely and sat down on the pew. Who was that woman, and why was she being burned?

"People aren't objects! That'd an insult to the creator! God will punish you for saying such things!" Rose's indignant shout snapped LL out of his thoughts.

Edward laughed at this. "Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in unbelievable concepts like 'God'."

At that, his face became lighter, as if he was recounting a favorite story. "We strive to uncover the principals of creation in the matter of this world, to pursue truth. It's ironic that we scientists, who don't believe in God are, in a sense, the closest to him."

"Such pride... are you saying your God's equal?" Rose asked in a soft incredulous tone.

Edward shook his head. "Nah, it's more like that myth of that one hero, who made wings out of wax so he could fly, but when he got too close to the sun, too close to God, the wax melted and he crashed into the ground."

LL said nothing, but he felt like he understood a little more about them. What Edward said about the hero, it was a parallel to whatever this "Human Transmutation" was and thw Elric brothers were the ones who gotten too close to God.

* * *

 

The crowd's cheers were deafening. LL got his first look at Father Cornello. He was an old bald man who wore a priest's black attire. He had a kind look on his face. Cornello took a small flower petal that was rained down on him. He put both his hands over it and before everyone's eyes, turned it into a beautiful crystal blossom.

"What do you think, brother?" Alphonse asked Edward, who was standing on his suitcase by Alphonse.

"That has to be alchemy, no doubt about it," he said smartly.

Rose came over to them, smiling. "You came to see him as well? So now you see? Father Cornello's miracles are real!"

"Nah, that's alchemy no matter how you look at it; Cornello's a fraud," Edward said immediately, to Roses' chagrin.

"But he can bypass the laws for some reason, so that's a problem right there," Alphonse pointed out.

"Will you two please explain what you're mumbling about? I don't really understand what you're saying and I know I'm not the only one," LL said, gesturing to himself and Rose as he spoke.

"Oh right, I guess you'd be curious," Alphonse said before explaining. "Most people think that alchemy can do anything and create whatever you want, but in reality there are certain laws..."

And after that, LL more or less lost whatever Alphonse was saying. Judging by Rose's face, she was just as lost as he was. Alphonse noticed this and re-explained, thankfully in more simplified terms.

"In other words, it's equivalent exchange. In order to gain something, something of equal value has to be given," Edward said.

 _I wish Alphonse had just said that in the first place._ "But...?"

"But that Cornello guy is making way too much out of way too little, and that's violating the laws of equivalent exchange. You saw what he did to that flower petal right?" Edward said.

LL nodded.

"See?! Why won't you two accept that they're miracles?" Rose asked.

Edward didn't answer, his eyes were focused on Cornello. The look in his eyes was very different, a gleam in them that made the molton gold eyes look more jaded. "Brother, do you think...?" Alphonse asked softly.

"Oh yeah. I think we found it," Edward replied before turning to Rose, a cheerful smile on his face. "Hey lady-"

"Rose."

"Hey Rose, I'm getting interested in this religion thing! I'd love to speak to his holiness! Think you could take me to him?"

"Oh my! You're finally starting to believe!" Rose exclaimed happily.

LL watched all this by Alphonse. So from what he was interpreting, they were going to break into wherever this Cornello was and then, well Edward and Alphonse would take care of him, LL supposed. 

_I wonder if this would be considered illeagle._

* * *

"His holiness is a very busy man, so it's not easy to get an audience. You should count yourselves lucky."

The four of them were, surprisingly, lead by Brother Cray, a monk of Cornello's, down to see said father. LL would have been all right if it weren't for the look he saw in the other men's eyes. It was like they were just waiting to pounce on them and slit their throats or something.

"I'll try not to take too long~" Edward said, still maintaining the false cheerfulness from a nearly a half hour ago.

"Yes, let's end this right away."

Brother Cray then slipped his hand into his coat and LL saw something that looked all too familiar to him, even though it was his first time seeing something like it. "He's got -!"

LL was cut off as Cray aimed the pistol into Alphonse's eye and fired. The helmet was shot off and the armor fell backwards. The other two guards positioned their spears at Edward and LL's throats.

"Brother Cray, what are you doing?!" Rose exclaimed in horror.

"Rose, these are heathens that were trying to entrap his holiness. They're evil."

LL's fist clenched. That dirty liar! "What?! But surely his holiness wouldn't allow-!"

"He DID allow it. His words come from God himself! Thus, this is God's will!" Cray sneered.

_"There must be some really bad 'Gods' out there, huh?"_

Alphonse was back on his feet right behind the man. Cray looked completely shocked. "WHA-?!"

At that, Alphonse's fist connected with Cray's jaw, shattering most of his teeth. Edward grabbed the guard by him and flipped him onto the ground. The guard by LL tried to run away from the scene. Acting on instinct, LL heaved his satchel and threw it at the man like a disk. The item collided with his head and knocked him over. He weakly twitched and tried to get back up, only for Edward to throw Alphonse's head at the man, completely knocking him out.

"Strike! In your face, bitches!" Edward grinned triumphantly. LL definitely wasn't going to respond to that.

Rose stared at Alphonse, even more shocked and horrified than she already was. "What-what-what is that?!" she nearly shrieked.

Edward napped a knuckle on the armor. "Nothing special, it's just what it looks like."

"I-It's empty?!" she choked.

Alphonse put his head back on. "You might say... this is what happens to those who trespass into God's domain, when you commit the greatest sin. My brother and I both..."

"You too, Edward?" Rose said softly.

_Is that what Human Transmutation is? "Trespassing into God's domain"?_

Edward just scratched the back of his head. "We'll save that story for another time. Now that you've seen your precious holiness's true colors-"

"No! There has to be some mistake!" Rose protested.

"Ugh, all this and she _still_ believes in his 'phoniness'?" Edward groused incredulously. He turned to her after a few seconds, his expression serious. "Rose, do you have the courage to face the truth?"

* * *

 

They opened the door. The room was large and spacious, almost as much as the church. The doors slammed behind them.

"Welcome to the great church of Leto. Did you come to hear me preach, hm?"

LL looked up. It was Cornello, holding a small stature of Leto in his hand. Edward looked squarely in the old man's eyes. "Yeah, by all means teach us how you're using cheap alchemy tricks to deceive your followers!"

Cornello didn't even looked fazed. "I'm not sure what you mean. Please don't confuse my miracles with alchemy. If you saw yourself, you'd-"

"Look I've seen it, old man. And I couldn't get how you were able to ignore the laws."

"See? That clearly-"

"Then it hit me: The philosopher's stone."

LL looked at Cornello's left hand, noticing the gold band with the red stone set in it. Cornello's gesture froze. Edward's grin tightened. "And maybe, it's that ring of yours?"

"... the government gets their money's worth out of? You clearly saw through it all."

The cordial expression vanished from Cornello's face as he held the ring for them to see. The red stone gleamed like blood in the light. "Correct, Fullmetal Alchemist: this is the Philosopher's stone, the legendary catalyst, the amplifier of alchemy. With this, I can get the maximum result with the minimum price!"

LL glanced at Edward, almost startled by the hungry, almost feral look in his eyes, a wry grin spreading on his face. "I've searched so long, and now it's right in front of us..."

A smirk touched Cornello's lips. "What's with such a jealous look? What is it that you want it for? Money? Power?"

"What about you? If it's money you want, you can get all you want with the stone," Edward shot back.

"It's not about the money. If I need it, then I can get it from my flock in the form of donations. No, what I need is followers that would give up their lives for me without even a thought. Think about it! An invincible army of fanatics with no fear of death! Soon I'll have more than enough followers and within a few years, this country will be under my feet!"

LL felt disgust crawl on his skin. This man was not only willing to use the people here for money and power, but also as meat-shields and soldiers! But it's still a really effective way to control the people; this man's smarter than he looks.

"Okay, I really could care less about that, so let's move on," Edward stated in a nonchalant tone.

"What?!" Cornello exclaimed in disbelief.

"Edward?!"

"Don't belittle my ambition by saying you don't care! You'd better, you're in the military, after all!"

"How can you say something like that after hearing what he's planning to do to completely innocent people?!"

Edward just kept a calm look. "First of all, I could care less about the military. Or Amestris for that matter. Secondly, these people chose to believe that he was performing miracles without a second thought."

LL gritted his teeth, not able to counter the argument, especially since most of him agreed with Edward.

"I'll be blunt: give me the stone and I'll keep quiet about your scam," Edward petitioned.

"Hmph! You attempt to bargain with me? My followers would never believe you, no matter what you say or how much evidence you show!" Cornello's eyes glinted with madness now. _"Those idiots will believe anything I tell them! I have them all completely and utterly fooled!"_

Edward clapped his hands polity. "Wow, you are smart. Of course no one would believe me-" At that, Alphonse removed the armor on his chest, revealing Rose inside him. "- but what about her?"

Cornello's eyes widened, shock on his face. "R-Rose?! What is this?!"

"Father, is what you said true?" Rose cried as she crawled out of Alphonse. "Were you deceiving us this whole time?! Your powers are only alchemy?!"

Rose's eyes glistened with tears. "You can't bring my darling back?"

Cornello gritted his teeth, seeming to calm down as he said, "It's true I'm not God's emissary, but with the philosopher's stone, it may be possible to transmute living beings. Rose, I will resurrect him!"

If it weren't for Cornello's true nature being revealed, LL would have been moved by the sincerity in his words.

"Rose don't listen to him!" Edward said.

"Rose, be a good girl and come here," Cornello coaxed.

"If you do this, you can never go back!" he warned.

"What's the matter? You belong here," Cornello persisted.

"Rose!" Alphonse said.

Rose trembled sweat dripping down her face. "I'm the only one who can grant your wish. Now, think of your beloved and _come_!"

She crossed the room over to him at that. Edward sighed, rubbing his head. LL could only stare at the woman in disbelief. How could Rose do this?

"I'm so sorry, but this is the only choice I can make," Rose said softly, looking back at them. Those words, in such a tone, made disgust and anger rise up in LL's throat like bile.

"How dare you say that? How dare you give up so easily?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"There's nothing else to do," she replied simply.

"That's not true! There's always another choice, so you can't say that!" LL snapped angrily, "I can't believe you're acting so weak!"

Rose said nothing but looked down, eyes shadowed. Cornello smiled, but it was more of a sneer than anything else. "You are a good child, Rose; pay no heed to that foreigner," he said as he narrowed his eyes at LL mockingly. "He simply doesn't understand the bond between a man and woman."

LL glared right back, willing Cornello to say it again. Who was he to say what LL understood and didn't?!

"Now, we must eliminate these heathens who threaten our faith and future," the old man said as he pulled a lever by him and a thud resonated and echoed in the air.

Then, a growl came from the darkness. LL looked in the direction, barely hearing Cornello as the thing came out into the light. It looked like a lion, but had the back legs of a lizard and whip-like tail. Scales covered part of it's face. LL felt sick just looking at it. Edward's face remained calm, almost thoughtful. "Hm, it might be hard to go at this empty-handed..."

He clapped his hands and slapped them on the ground. The same blue crackled and Edward formed a spear in his hands from the ground, leaving a slight hollow.  "Able to create without a transmutation circle-!" Cornello said with a surprised growl. "So you do deserve the title of a state alchemist after all. But it won't be enough!"

Quick as a flash, the thing's claws raked against the spear, shattering it effortlessly and slicing across Edward's leg. "Edward!" LL exclaimed on impulse as he saw the look of surprise on Edward's face- -which turned to a smirk.

"Kidding! This is custom made!"

He kicked out, knocking the thing backwards. It's claws snapped off it's paw a moment later from the impact against Edward's leg. Cornello stared in shock before yelling, "Wh-what's the matter?! If your claws don't work, then use your teeth!"

The thing leaped at Edward, it's fangs dinging into the skin of his arm which Edward put up to protect himself. LL had expected to hear his cry from pain or the sound of blood splattering onto the floor. He wasn't expecting, for Edward to say, "What's the matter, kitty? Taste bad?" the thing's teeth to shatter and Edward's leg to kick up almost perfectly vertically and knock it backwards.

Edward's coat was shredded now, and LL could see not flesh but metal underneath. "Look at me Rose. You look too LL," he said as he took off his red coat. "This is what happens when you use alchemy on humans; this is what happens to sinners who trespass in God's domain!"

LL stared. He couldn't tear his eyes away. He could faintly hear Cornello saying, "Auto-mail; full steel prosthetics. So that's why..."

Edward's entire right arm was metal, attached to his shoulder, where he could see scars running down the length. Not only that, but he could see that his left leg was metal too. "The Fullmetal Alchemist!"

Edward turned up to face Cornello, gesturing with his metal fingers. "Come down here you third-rate fraud! I'll show you there's no comparison between us!"

Cornello's shock slowly became a look of enlightenment, just like the Freezer Alchemist's. "I see. I always wondered why a mere boy would be given such a fearsome title, but now I know."

Cornello looked at Rose and LL. "Look at them well, both of you! Those two dared to do the one thing alchemy forbids the unspeakable crime of Human Transmutation! They've committed the worst possible sin!"

 

Edward didn't say anything but Alphonse did. He explained how their mother died, how they were so lonely, Edward himself came up with the idea of bringing her back to life. They spent almost every waking moment after that trying to find a way. They even went to an alchemy teacher, they were so motivated. "We never had any doubts about doing it. Our mother was the kindest person in the world, and all we wanted to see was her smiling again; even if it meant breaking alchemy's laws. It was the only reason we studied alchemy."

_But it failed._

He told how Edward lost his left leg and how he, Alphonse, had his entire body taken. And when he came to, he saw Edward in a sea of blood and he had the armor for a body. And even after Edward lost his leg, he sacrificed his right arm to get his soul back and bind it to the armor he was now.

Edward smiled mirthlessly. "We sacrificed all this to bring back one person. This is what it takes to raise the dead, Rose," he said, his face stern. "Are you ready for such a sacrifice?"

Rose flinched again.

"And you call yourself a state alchemist? Don't make me laugh!" Cornello snorted.

"Don't even start! In the end, you're nothing more than a novice whose power relies solely on a pebble!" LL snapped, having just about enough of the bald man.

"So that's the reason you want the stone? So you can transmute humans for real?"

"Don't be stupid, baldy; we just want to get our bodies back to normal. And besides, we don't know if it'll be able to do even that!" Edward retorted.

"We'll ask again, Father. Give us the stone before you get hurt," Alphonse interjected.

Cornello took his cane and touched it with the hand with the stone, crackling with blue. "Heh, you fools are the ones who came too close to God and fell to earth. And since that's the case," the cane slowly morphed and began to look very much like a machine gun, "I'll make sure to send you to God permenantly!" With that, he fired the gun at them.

**RAT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT!**

LL ducked down onto the ground, covering his head ina  futile effort to shielf himself. Smoke billowed up and around, obscuring sight in the room, the guns sounds and Cornello's laughter echoing off the walls. When he hadn't been hit yet, LL looked up to see Edward standing tall, with his hand on a wall that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Sorry old man, but God doesn't like me very much. Even if I did go to him, he'd chase me right back down!"

Cornello growled, then aimed his gun down at Rose. Acting on impulse, LL ran to the young woman and grabbed her wrist, dragging her out of the bullets range. Rose shrieked as they avoided the bullets before they were barely a few feet behind them both. At the last moment, Alphonse appeared in front of the two before the bullets hit them, ricocheting off the metal.

"Owowowow!" the armored boy yelped as he ran in front of them.

"Al! LL! Let's get out of here!" Edward yelled, pointing to the door.

"Fools! All the exits are rigged!" Cornello cackled.

Edward smirked. "That so?"

With that, he slapped his palms together, then the wall, creating double doors. "WHAT?!"

Edward crashed through the doors, followed by LL still holding Rose, and Alphonse. "If there's no exit, make one!"

With that, the three ran down the halls, Cornello's followers hot on their trail.. LL struggled to keep up with them, but already his chest was heaving and his legs burned from the effort. Thankfully, Alphonse had picked up Rose otherwise he would have collapsed.

_I'll find time to work out! I swear I will!_

When LL took the time to look up, he saw that the entrance up ahead was blocked by some of Cornello's cronies.

"Hey, runt! Are you really gonna take us all on unarmed?" one taunted.

"Just give up before you get hurt-" another began before Edward cheerfully smiled as he clapped his hands, slapped them on his metal arm and turned it into a jagged blade.

Scary smile plus evil-looking blade plus lighting plus the cronies not expecting to see something like that equals-

_"AHHHHGGGG!"_

The effect was instantaneous. Most of them fainted, the rest screamed and ran away. Those who weren't fast enough were pummeled soundly.

"Er, they're strong," one of them stuttered, gripping his lead pipe, "but don't let your guards-"

"'scuse us," Alphonse said polity as he kicked the poor man in the head and out of the way. LL stared as he followed after them. He wasn't even going to try to make sense of the entire thing.

Just then, Edward stopped in front of a room with a desk, chair and a microphone sitting on said desk. "What's this place?" he asked.

"... the broadcasting room. This is where Father Cornello delivers his sermons over the radio," Rose responded

A gleam crackled in Edward's eyes. "Oh really..."

* * *

 

"Edward, about earlier..."

Edward looked up from where he was placing the microphone on the floor. "Yeah?"

"All I can say is... I can't believe you had to give up so much and in such a way," LL admitted. He truly couldn't; to experience pain like that was unfathomable to him.

"It's like Al said, the foundation of alchemy is equivalent exchange. To obtain something, something of equal value has to be lost," Edward replied as he re-wired the switchboard.

LL frowned softly. Edward got up and sat by him on the desk. "You know, people call me a genius, but the only reason I got this way is because of everything I've gone through. I'm not bragging, I'm just stating the facts."

"You lost two limbs,and your brother his whole body. There's no way that the resurrection couldn't have worked, right?" Edward looked down, his eyes clouded. LL could almost feel his blood freeze at his next sentence.

"The thing we brought back didn't even look human anymore."

LL's fist banged on the table, infuriating and irrational anger clenching in his chest. "All you wanted was to see your mother again! For that to happen after all of that; it's not fair to either of you!"

Edward just sighed. "There's no point in getting angry. What happened happened. We're definitely not transmuting humans again, but I'm going to get Al's body and my arm and leg back. But like Al said before, the risks are high. Even if we do get the stone, there's a high probability that it won't work or it'll put us in an even worse spot. That's the way it goes."

LL said nothing but looked away. How could they just accept something like that? 

Just then, Cornello burst into the room, wheezing and huffing. Edward's face held a nonchalant expression as he viewed the old man. LL just tried to remain inconspicuous. "You little runt! (wheeze, huff) You aren't getting away that easily!"

Edward gave an annoyed sigh. "Just give up, will you? News of your trickery's gonna spread throughout town either way."

"Everyone in the church is under my control! They wouldn't believe a stupid follower if she contradicted me!"

"My my, I feel sorry for those followers of yours."

"Followers are just pawns in war, they're only used to go forth into battle! I have no time to feel sorry for pieces on the board!"

_I'm the only who should be using chess metaphors! ... what?_

"If I should ask them to die, they would do so in an instant, believing that they did it for God! I'll mass-produce them; limitless fanatics who can't even tell alchemy from miracles! Do you honestly think you can stand up to me?! You underestimate the power of blind faith!"

Edward began laughing and even LL couldn't help the shit-eating smirk on his face.

"What's so funny?" Cornello snapped Edward grinned as he exclaimed, "That's why I called you third-rate baldy!"

"H-huh?"

Edward held aloft the switch. "Know what this is?" he asked in a sing-song voice.

Cornello stared blankly, then he looked down at the microphone at his feet. Then at the switch on "ON".

"Y-you couldn't have-"

"Yes, he could. He already did, in fact," LL said. (Yes, it was out of a sadistic amusement to see the man squirm, but he didn't care)

...

 **"YOU LITTLE RAT!"** Cornello screamed, the crackling of the microphone evident as his words were broadcasted to the entirety of Reole. "How long has that been on?!"

"From the beginning. Your believers heard every word. Heck, they're listening even now."

"Y-You brats-!" Cornello brought his gun out, rage etched on his face, "I'll kill you-!"

"Too slow!" LL barely saw the blond move as he slashed off the top of the gun, rendering it useless. "Didn't I tell you there's no comparison between us?" he said, grinning.

"... I won't give up."

Cornello slapped his ring-hand over his other arm and gun. "So long as I have the stone, I can create miracles again and again!" The light shone but when it subsided, it revealed the gun melded to the flesh, a grotesque parody of what the old man had wanted to do.

 

_?!_

Cornello screamed in pain as he clutched the limb before falling to his knees. Edward stared, startled bafflement on his face. "W-why did it...?"

"MY ARM! MY ARM! IT HURTS!"

Edward recovered and grabbed Cornello's collar and slammed his forehead against his. "SHUT UP! It's only a rebound, don't make such a big deal over a limb or two!" he snarled angrily.

 _Easy for you to say; you've only got two real limbs left!_ LL couldn't help thinking incredulously.

"Give it to me! Give me the philosopher's stone!"

"M-my stone..."

Then, the stone fell out of the ring and onto the floor, shattering on impact before disintegrating. Edward and Cornello stared in shock, said blond being the first to recover. "What."

"Er- is that normal?" LL couldn't help asking.

"How could this happen?! Philosopher's stones are a pure substance, they can't break!" Edwars houted at Cornello incredulously.

"I-I don't know! Nobody told me-! Please don't kill me! I'm powerless without it!"

"...it's a fake?"

"Spare me please, I was wrong!"

"I went through all that and I was so excited and it's a fake..."

Edward fell onto the floor, gloom enveloping him. Cornello and LL stared, neither knowing how to respond. A sneer crossed Cornello's face and he brandished the long thin bone that was jutting out of his arm. LL moved forward to stop him before Edward twitched slightly.

"Hey. Old man."

Edward's voice was an eerie calm, freezing both.

"First you lied to the townspeople."

LL realized the ground was shifting. Looking down, he saw the floor move like water forwards.

"Then, you tried to kill us."

Even the furniture and the walls and ceilings were gathering from his power.

"And after all that trouble, you're telling me it was a fake?"

LL gaped. Now, a giant figure of Leto rose above them, towering over a very angry Edward with his palm on it.

"THIS HAD BETTER BE SOME KIND OF JOKE!" he roared.

It turned to Cornello and raised its fist. LL quickly backed away from the pissed-off blond, eager not to get in the way. "FEEL THE IRON BLOW OF GOD'S WRATH!" Edward snarled.

And the fist came down with an earth-shattering crash. When the smoke cleared, the fist was right in front of Cornello, said man lying in a heap, unconscious. LL looked back at Edward, the blond's rage still evident but slowly cooling down.

"We better get out of here," he said to LL. "A riot's gonna start any minute now."

"... right."

* * *

 

"So it was fake?" Alphonse, Edward and LL were outside, the sun's last rays dyeing everything orange and yellow.

"Yeah, and just when we thought we had it..." the blond groused before his face softened and laid a hand on the armored boy's shoulder. "I really though we'd finally get your body back, Al."

"Worry about yourself brother!" Alphonse admonoshed gently. "Automail has more problems than armor."

Edward got up, dusting off his pants. "Well, I guess we'll have to look somewhere else..."

"It can't be..."

LL glanced over to where Rose was kneeling on the ground, her face expressing pained confusion. "He said he would bring him back. There has to be some mistake."

Edward shook his head. "There's no mistake, Rose. You can't raise the dead. You just can't."

"... What did you do to me?"

Tears trickled down her face, her mouth twisted in a hapless smile. "What am I supposed to do now? What do I believe in?! Are you going to tell me? _Well, are you?!"_ she shouted.

"... that's something you need to figure out yourself."

Edward walked past her without pause. Alphonse followed as did LL, trying not to make eye contact with the younger woman. He heard what Edward said.

"Stand up and walk. Keep moving forward. At least you have strong legs to get you there."

* * *

 

"Edward. Alphonse."

The two looked at LL as the train began to move. "I want to help you both get your bodies back. Will you please let me help you?"

Edward's surprise melted and he sighed, a small smile on his face. "That's kind of you to offer. But this is our problem and we'll fix it ourselves," he replied.

LL shook his head. "I don't care. It's my decision. I want you both to get your bodies back and I want to help you do so. It's my wish to help you both; my Geass."

Edward blinked. "Your 'geese'?" LL didn't answer, his eyes wide and his hands trembling. Something was wrong with him. That word had come out all on it's own and it made him feel strange and he didn't know why-

* * *

 

"HE MUSN'T DIE!"

_The woman with the lime green hair and butter yellow eyes jumped in front of him. A bullet lodged itself deep into her forehead in the middle of a red V-shaped symbol on the skin and she fell backwards._

W-why did she-?!

_"Murder!"_

_"Someone help!"_

_People were starring in horror at the scene and blood. One of the men in the group pointing guns at him said to his leader, "Sir, what should we do?"_

_The leader, a cruel looking man with a scar on his head and hat looked over at the people and snorted. "They're only *******. Kill them," he replied dismissively._

_And he could only watch in horror as the men gunned down the *******, their blood splattering against the concrete. "Why...?"_

_Then, they turned back to him. A shudder ran up his spine. The leader smirked, clearly amused. "Sorry for the wait, boy. Now," he cocked his gun, the barrel almost right in front of him, "it's your turn."_

_Utter hopelessness, fear and despair throbbed painfully within him. It was unbelievable unfair. Was he really going to die here? Without accomplishing anything? A hand wrapped painfully around his wrist. Light flared before him and a voice echoed in his head._

You don't wish to end like this, do you?

_It was the woman's voice._

What is this-

Child.

_A garden appeared before his eyes, along with the woman, only the outfit she had been wearing previously was gone, leaving her naked._

You have a reason to live. This is the contract: I will give you power, and in return you will grant my wish.

Hey- What is this?!

_She looked at him with such an expression that it looked as if she had lived for centuries._

A different fate. A different time. A different life.

_A man stood on a platform._

_"Is the legend about to start?" he mused._

_At that, an inferno of determination flared within him. He would survive!_

I accept your contract!

* * *

"LL!"

Edward's hands gripping his shoulders and shaking him like a rag-doll brought LL back to his senses. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.

LL said nothing, still feeling shaken from what he saw as he took in some breathes. "LL?"

The young man looked at Edward and Alphonse, both waiting for his response, evidently concerned. "I think I just remembered something from before I lost my memories."

"Are you serious?! That's great, what did you remember?" Edward exclaimed. LL shook his head wearily. "I'll try, but it doesn't make any sense, though. The entire thing..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue taken from the FMA manga and part of the threephilosopher's abridged series.


	5. Chimera: a child's innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Innocence is loosely defined; it can relate to a person's status in a crime or it used as the most common term towards a child.

LL stared, his mouth gaping open like a fish's. If he hadn't seen what had just happened, he wouldn't have believed it.

"Alphonse, I did just see that Col. Mustang man snap fire at that hijacker, right?" he asked the armored boy as if he doubted his own eyes.

"Yeah, you did. I guess I don't blame you for being surprised; you've never seen him shoot flames before," Alphonse replied.

They had just gotten off a train that was hijacked, taking a one General Haruko and his family, as well as the other passengers, hostage. Edward and Alphonse had stopped them all through battling and sheer cleverness. LL had to admit, they were both impressive. He didn't think they'd be able to pull it off, especially after, "WIND PRESSURE, WIND PRESSURE!"

LL could do little in the situation. He was as weak as a kitten and the other men had guns and muscle that he didn't have. But right now, he wasn't thinking about that; not while he was currently thunderstruck at what he had just witnessed. The main hijacker tried to attack the soldiers, but with a snap of his fingers, Colonel Mustang sent a flame at him, knocking the man backwards.

"I'm the Flame Alchemist," he had said, smirking. "Don't forget it."

"How on earth did he do that?" LL asked.

"Hmm? First time seeing the Col. shoot flames before?" The blond man with brown eyes came over to them. LL remembered that he was called Lt. Havoc from the other soldiers talking.

"Yes, and I didn't even know that man was an alchemist."

"Ah, that explains it. I assumed since you travel with Fullmetal, you'd know about him. Well, see the colonel's gloves?" Havoc pointed at the raven-haired man's hands. They were covered in the same white gloves Edward wore. "Uh-huh."

Havoc took out a cigarette and lighter. "Unlike Fullmetal's gloves, or any gloves for that matter, they're made of a special reactive cloth that makes sparks when rubbed together. After that, it's a simple matter of adjusting the oxygen level in the air around the area you want to combust and then boom!" He emphasized it by flicking the lighter, and lighting the cigarette.

 _That wasn't as helpful as I thought._ "Okay, I maybe didn't make myself clear. I don't want the logic behind it, I want to know how he did it!" LL persisted.

Havoc shrugged. "Alchemists are people who can do these kinds of things. Fullmetal's just like that."

LL didn't reply to that but looked at the two alchemists. Edward and Col. Mustang are amazing. I wish I was that strong, or at least had power I could use so I wouldn't have to rely on him all the time.

"Also..." LL looked up to see Havoc blush was he offered his hand. "I didn't quite catch your name."

"LL ...?" LL hesitantly offered his hand and the blond shook it gently. "I know this is sudden, but would you consider going on a date-"

"I'M A MAN," LL dead-panned, his expression bordering on murderous.

Havoc froze then fell on the ground in a face fault. _And my pride as a man takes a steep plummet downwards. Again._

"LL."

LL turned to Alphonse, thankful for something to distract him from his anger. "Yes?"

"We're getting going. Col. Mustang's briefing us soon," he said, gesturing to the older ravenet. "Okay. I'm coming."

As he trailed after them, LL heard snippets of the soldiers as they cleaned up the scene.

"Amazing, both of them."

"Did you see the Col. take that guy down?"

"And the little guy captured those hijackers all by himself!"

"Can you believe it?"

"I don't know..."

"They can't be human, either of them..."

* * *

"You owe me so big, Col."

Edward's grin took up all of his face. He, Alphonse and LL were sitting in Col. Mustang's office.

"Hearing you say that makes a chill go up my spine..." Col. Mustang said, smiling ruefully before heaving a sigh of resignation. "All right, what do you want?"

Edward brightened. "Get's right to point, that's my Col~ I need to know more about bio alchemy. Where can I go to find more information? Maybe an expert or library?"

"Right now? You sure are in a hurry..." Col. Mustang said as he leafed through one of the bookcases.

"My arm and leg aren't just going to grow back, you know!" Edward retorted.

"It's been so long since we've seen each other, why don't we have some tea?" Col. Mustang suggested, still looking through the book case.

"What's so great about drinking tea with you?!" Edward snapped.

"I'd like some, please," LL piped up.

Col. Mustang smiled slightly. "All right then, I'll ask Lt. Hawkeye to bring up some cups. On the meantime- ah, here we are."

With that, Col. Mustang took out a file with a few papers stuffed in it. He put it down on the desk and opened it up, revealing the papers. A young woman with blond hair held up by a hair clip and a stoic demeanor brought up a few cups of tea ( LL quickly assumed that the woman was Lt. Hawkeye).

"Chimera: an artificial fusion created by alchemically 'marrying' two genetically dissimilar forms. In other words, there's a chimera researcher in the city," Col. Mustang read off the paper before taking a sip of tea.

"Um, do you mind explaining that again in simpler terms? " LL asked, again confused, though it was a feeling he was growing accustomed to.

"You know that cat in Reole that Cornello sicced on us? That was a chimera. It's a creature that was basically two or more animals fused together by alchemy. And this-" Edward looked at the photograph of the bespectacled man and read the name under it- "-Shou Tucker guy is an expert in it, apparently."

"Okay." _Doesn't help much, but okay._

* * *

 

"Shou Tucker is the binding life alchemist, who made his debut two years ago by creating and presenting a chimera that could speak."

The four were in a car heading for said alchemist's house and Col. Mustang was further debriefing them.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You mean it talked like a human?!" Edward exclaimed.

"I'm assuming that's an unheard of feat?" LL said.

"It was the first chimera that could actually speak words, so yes," Alphonse said.

"That would appear so. However, I wasn't in charge at the time, so I never saw it," Col. Mustang said as he turned the next page. "According to this, it could understand human speech, as well as actually speaking. But it only said one sentence all that time-"

_"I want to die."_

LL felt a sharp chill go up his spine at the words, barely hearing Col. Mustang say, "Afterwards, it refused all food and water and died shortly after." A long silence filled the car, as they digested this information.

After a while, the car halted in front of an enormous house. Col. Mustang opened the door and stepped out, saying, "Well anyways, let's see just what kind of person we're dealing with." The raven-haired officer went to the door and rang the bell while the Elric brothers and LL stared at the house. It was indeed enormous.

_More like a mansion than a-_

It was at that moment that LL noticed the shadow over him. He looked behind and above to see white.

"WOOF!"

And the next thing he knew, LL was on the pavement with something heavy and _panting_ pinning him down face first. "Ow. Ow," LL groaned from the pain on his face and back.

"Alexander, you stop that right now!" a childish, female voice exclaimed.

LL felt the weight get off of him a moment later and he looked up. The door had opened and Shou Tucker stepped out, along with a little girl with brown hair in long twin braids and bright blue eyes. "Wow daddy, lots of guests!" she exclaimed, smiling widely.

LL didn't even hear Tucker's reply as he stared at the little girl. _She's adorable..._

"LL? Are you okay?" Edward asked, snapping him back.

"You're not hurt too bad, are you?" Alphonse inquired.

LL got back on his feet, wincing. "I'm fine, just a little winded."

He said no more as he followed them into the extremely messy house. A few meters in and LL nearly tripped over a box but the sewing-life alchemist caught him by his coat and steadied him. "I apologize for the mess, It's been like this since my wife left me," Tucker said sheepishly.

"It's fine, it's fine," LL replied, making sure to keep an eye open for anything on the floor or surfaces that could trip him.

"Hey LL, san you wait for us? All we'll be doing is repeating a lot of what you heard before," Edward offered.

LL frowned. "But-"

"Hi mister!"

Both males looked down to see Nina looking up at them, smiling innocently. "Do you wanna play with me and Alexander?" she asked, clinging on both their coats, red and brown cloth clutched in her tiny hands.

Almost subconsciously, smiles quipped on their lips, seeing the little girl. A second later, Edward shoved LL right up to her. "LL can play with you," Edward said immediately, trailing after Alphonse into the other room.

"Yay!"

 

"W-wait, Edward-!"

However, the blond had already turned and closed the door behind him, leaving the two alone. LL looked down at Nina, who was smiling at him still. "Um, what would you like to play?" LL asked.

"Tag! I wanna play tag! C'mon!"

Nina dragged him by the coat hem outside onto the sideways lawn. A moment later, the white thing from before, a giant dog even bigger than Nina, padded to the girl's side. LL immediately twitched at the sight of the animal, realizing it was the same behemoth that flattened him earlier.

"You're it!"

With that, the little girl pushed LL before jumping on the dog's back, riding him like a horse across the lawn. LL ran after her after a few seconds of confusion.

 _Well, at least she's only avoiding me because of the mutt!_ LL thought as he tried to tag her, but then Alexander veered the opposite direction, causing LL to crash onto the grass. _If I couldn't catch her because she was too fast, that would have been even worse!_

After a while of futile chasing, he was spread on the grass, panting harshly as he tried to fill his lungs with much-needed air. Nina giggled as she got off of Alexander (the mutt) and jumped on his stomach, driving the little air he got in his lungs back out again. "C'mon, play with me some more! Please?" 

LL couldn't speak, trying to catch his breath while Nina continued to bounce on his torso, repeating, "Please?" over and over again.

"O-okay I will, just please get off of me!" LL gasped out, barely able to get out the sentence. Nina giggled as she rolled onto the grass before bouncing back up.

LL's chest heaved as he collecting more air. He groaned as he heaved himself back onto his feet. Nina immediately ran at him, banging into his legs, yelling, "Tag!" before jumping back onto Alexander. _Okay that's it!_

LL ran after them as fast as he could. He chased her across the yard until he was just a few paces behind her and he grabbed Nina's shoulder. "You're it!" he yelled, the grin threatening to take up his whole face.

However, LL was a little too enthusiastic and he ended up pulling her backwards off of Alexander, causing the little girl to be jerked backwards, and sent her on course for the ground. LL quickly jumped forwards, laying out his body as a shield to stop Nina from hitting the ground. Her tiny body thudded against his back, saving her from a worse impact.

"Nina (pant, pant) are you okay?" LL gasped out.

Alexander gave a whine as he went over to the little girl. Nina said nothing as she rolled onto the grass, looking dazed. Then, her lip quivered. And her eyebrows furrowed. And tears filled her eyes.

 _Oh no, she's going to cry! What do I do?! What do I do?!_ LL had zero experience with children, especially ones who were about to cry!

"Um-um-"

Without thinking, he pulled out the rectangle object. The white heart was still attached to it. LL didn't know what he was doing, but he took it into his fingers and put one under the small clip holding it shut, opening it up. Almost immediately, a soft melody came from it. Nina looked up, the tears in her eyes still there, but not spilling.

The music continued to resonate around them. Both were still, transfixed by the melody. LL felt a twinge in his gut. _What is this?_  

Nina looked up at the source of music, seemingly forgotten the pain earlier as she listened. Even Alexander became quiet, lying by her side.

 _This tune... it's almost..._ All LL could find to decribe the tune was... tragically nostolgic.

"Mister? Mister?"

LL snapped out of it and looked down. Nina was looking up at him, her expression sad while Alexander licked her face. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

LL nodded before going to her side. "I'm so sorry about that, Nina really. Are you hurt?" he asked softly, rubbing her head.

Nina shook her head, smiling. "It's okay! You were there to protect me, mister!" LL nodded again, feeling relief flood him. If he had been a second later...

"Um..." Nina was now looking at the heart with a solemn but lnging expression. LL felt a smile quip on his lips as he knelt down in front of her. "Would you like to see it?" he asked gently.

"Uh-huh! I mean, yes please," Nina corrected herself.

LL knelt down and showed her the heart. She "oohed" as she ran her fingers across the surface. "It's so pretty!"

 

The young man beamed.

* * *

 

After a while, Tucker called Nina inside for lunch. Nina giggled as she ran inside, with Alexander trailing behind her. He turned to LL. "Would you like some food too, LL?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Thank you."

He set out some sandwiches and milk on the table in the messy kitchen.

"Where are Edward and Alphonse?" LL asked as he bit into a ham sandwich.

"They're eating in the library," Tucker replied, smilign slightly. "They're so absorbed in their work though."

It made LL cringe just looking at the junk accumulating even as he ate. "Mr. Tucker?"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking, when was the last time you cleaned the house?"

Tucker chuckled sheepishly. "I don't know how to answer that."

LL sweat-dropped at that before asking, "If you don't mind, could I clean in here?"

Tucker looked surprised. "Why?"

"I just want to." _And if I keep looking at the mess, I'll go nuts._

"Hmm... I suppose."

After showing LL everything, the raven-haired young man went to work. It was as if he was staring out of someone else's body as he cleaned the floor of trash, swept up the dust, mopped it, cleared the counter, took out the trash and washed the surfaces and windows. _Did I used to be a servent or something?_

After a while, the kitchen looked much better. LL sighed contentedly.

"Mister."

LL looked down, seeing Nina trying not to look impatient. "Can we play now?" she asked.

LL smiled. Had she been waiting all this time for him? "Okay."

* * *

 

The rest of the day seemed to go by in no time at all. Around 5:00 PM, Nina began to look a little tired. LL scooped her up and brought her inside, Alexander trailing behind them. As he walked in, LL began to feel like he was forgetting something other than the last eighteen or so years of his life, or so they told him.

_Oh right; Edward and Alphonse are in the library! I didn't even see them during lunch, they must have been in there ever since morning. Better go check on them._

LL attempted to put Nina down on the couch, but she was clinging onto his torso like a monkey. The raven-haired young man sighed as he arranged her in his arms so he wouldn't drop her. He opened the door, only to see seemingly hundreds of bookcases filled to the brim with books, files and papers.

_Some library. Okay, now how to-_

"Oh hi LL, Nina, Alexander." LL glanced over to the right, seeing Alphonse surrounded by books. And by books, he meant stacks of them, reaching nearly to his (LL's) waist.

"Are you and Edward doing all right?" LL asked, before Nina squirmed in his arms a little.

"It's going. There's so much information here and we haven't even scratched the surface here," Alphonse admitted as he stood up.

LL managed to put Nina down before he nearly dropped her and she shyly looked up at Alphonse. "Um, hi mister," she said.

"Oh, hello again. How was your day Nina?" Alphonse asked kindly.

As Nina began telling him about what she did, LL couldn't help feeling a twinge of irrational jealousy as he watched this. He couldn't even think of a reason why he was jealous all of a sudden except that Nina wasn't talking with him. _Well that's... really stupid._

_"GYAAAAGGH!"_

The yell that split the air with no warning nearly gave LL another heart attack and he looked behind the bookcase to investigate. Alexander was lying on top of Edward who looked very miffed. Alphonse glanced behind as well, Nina perched on his shoulders. "Oh hey big brother."

"Don't you 'hey big brother' me! You're supposed to be looking through the data, not baby-sitting!" Edward snapped angrily.

"Well Nina wanted to play with me, so..."

_What?!_

"Why you...!"

Alexander began to earnestly lick Edward's face, the blond's seething hot enough to create steam. "Hey big brother, Alexander says he wants to play with you too!" Nina exclaimed happily.

Again, the jealousy twinged, only it was worse. _She just called me mister..._

"Hmph, you've got a lot of nerve to ask that," Edward twitched as he wiped the slobber off his face. He slowly got up, a shadow over the top of his face.

"They say it takes a lion's every bit of ability to catch a mere rabbit..." and his voice turned into a yell, looking quite maniac. _"JUST TRY TO SIT ON ME AGAIN! I, EDWARD ELRIC, SHALL FIGHT YOU WITH MY ENTIRE BODY AND SOUL!"_

With that, he charged after the white dog in a blond flash of speed and smoke. Alphonse sighed, muttering, "How immature,", Nina laughed aloud, and LL sweatdropped at the display. _Eesh..._

* * *

"Ed... may I ask what you're doing?" Lt. Havoc looked down at Edward who had Alexander on him again.

"He's just taking a break," LL quiped.

 

It was the end of the day and it was time for the Elrics and LL to leave. They would returnt he next day.

Tucker came down to the stairs at that. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

The look on Edward's face was answer enough. "... you can come back tomorrow," the man said quickly.

The three of them trailed after Havoc. LL stopped as he felt someone tug his coat and saw Nina looking up at him. "You're gonna coma back tomorrow, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll be coming back tomorrow with these two," LL gestured to Alphonse and a staggering Edward at that, "so I'll play with you tomorrow."

"Yay!" she cheered, hugging him. LL felt warmth surge in his chest at the gesture.

As he headed to the car, he caught a snippet of Lt. Havoc's words to Tucker, "... Assessment day's around the corner, don't forget."

Tucker nodded, looking grave. "I know."

* * *

"Your mother left two years ago?"

It was about two weeks after the day they met Tucker and Nina. LL made Edward let him help them, even though only a short while after he began each day, it made him want to die from the sheer boredom, he wanted to be of some use.

Nina was talking with them in the library at the moment, leaning against Alexander. "Uh-huh. Daddy said she went to live with her parents in their house," she replied, almost nonchalantly.

"Really? It must be lonely in this big house," Alphonse said, looking up from the book he was reading.

Nina shook her head as she hugged Alexander. "No it's not! Daddy's nice to me and I have Alexander too! But..."

At that, her face became softer and sadder as she said, "Lately daddy's always in his laboratory with the door locked, so it is a little lonely."

LL immediately felt sympathy for the little girl. No wonder she wanted to play so much, she's been starved for affection. "But, surely you've been able to see your mother a few times, right?" he asked.

Nina shook her head again, looking sadder. "No. I haven't seen mommy ever since then."

_Nina..._

A few more hours passed with the three males looking through the books, LL more often than not staying by Nina and Alexander until she just crawled onto his lap and Alexander fell alseep with his head on his leg.

Finally Edward broke the silence. "Ugh, all this reading's making my shoulders are all cramped up," he grumbled, massaging them with one hand.

"Exercise is the best cure for shoulder cramps, big brother," Alphonse replied.

"You're right," he remarked and with that, Edward got up and stretched, "I guess I'll go work out a little in the yard." With that, he turned to Alexander, pointing at him. "Hey dog! I'll play with you for exercise!"

"It would be nice for a break," LL said as he got up too, placing his satchel back in place around his left shoulder.

Alphonse turned to Nina. "You come too, Nina. Nina looked surprised before smiling happily.

They went outside, the first thing they saw was Edward under Alexander again. He heaved the dog off of him, looking grimy but determined, a grin on his face. Nina then ran over to Alexander and got on his back just like the first time she and LL played tag. The dog ran after Edward the next moment with Nina giggling on his back. After running back and forth a few times, Edward transmuted his arm so that it looked like a little pac-man ( _What's a pac-man?_ LL thought after the comparison) and the chase went in reverse. Nina giggled even louder and Edward was grinning ear to ear as he chased the two. Alphonse just sighed endearingly as he watched his older brother acting so childish.

As LL watched this, an idea struck him.  "Hey you guys, I'll be right back!" He said as he went back in the house, not hearing their response.

He navigated the house until he came to Mr. Tucker's study. He tried the door to find was locked. He was about to knock when he heard a frustrated growl and crumpling paper.

* * *

"I can't believe after all that, we still have next to no headway!" Edward groaned.

They came back from the Tucker house just about ten minutes ago and were now in their hotel room. "Maybe tomorrow, something'll turn up," LL said as he hung up his coat.

"Maybe..."

After a while, they turned off the light, each of them getting to their respective places. Edward and LL in their beds and Alphonse stayed at his chair. After another while, LL could hear Edward's slight snores.

He couldn't sleep. Something had been nagging at him ever since Nina's conversation about her mother. _Something is very wrong, but what is it?_ He thought and thought through the night, until he finally felt his eyelids droop. He closed them a few moments later and let sleep come over him.

* * *

 

_"Shou Tucker is the binding life alchemist, who made his debut two years ago by creating and presenting a chimera that could speak."_

_"I want to die."_

_"Your mother left two years ago?"_

* * *

 

_..._

* * *

 

_!_

* * *

 

LL was up and out of bed a second later, the horrified realization jolting him wide awake. "LL...?" Alphonse said softly.

LL didn't answer but went up to Edward and shook him harshly, snapping, "Wake up, Edward; right now!"

Edward jolted up, his metal fist connecting with LL's face, knocking him onto the floor. "What the hell, LL-"

"Come with me right now, both of you!" LL barked, getting back on his feet, ignoring the pain on his face. Later, he would be startled at how harsh (and familiar-feeling) his tone was, as if it was the voice he was born to use.

Edward and Alphonse complied, too startled to say or do otherwise. They ran outside, the night still dark. They came to the Tucker house after about ten minutes.

"LL, we can't just dist-"

"Break down the door, Edward."

"Wha-"

_"Do it now!"_

Edward stared but did as LL told him, breaking the lock on the door and opening it up. "Now search the house, and if you find Mr. Tucker, detain him, okay?!"

"LL, what the hell is going on?!" Edward asked again.

"I swear I'll tell you later! Just look, please!" LL snapped as he ran down the hall.

_Please let me be there in time! Please!_

LL found the door to the lab and tried the door; it was open. He raced through, barely conscious of the animal noises or the gruesome sights around him. He reached a larger room, with a circle and two pentagons drawn on it with different types of runes. And in the middle of it was-

"Nina!"

The little girl was lying in the middle asleep and naked. Alexander was by her side, also asleep. LL quickly ran to her side, taking off his coat and wrapping it around her bare frame before scooping her into his arms. "Nina. Nina, wake up, please," LL pleaded, cradeling the girl gently.

"Oh dear. An uninvited guest."

LL looked up, seeing Tucker with an almost whimsical expression as he gazed at him. A scowl twisted on LL's face; the expression felt familiar on his face, as if he had used all too often before.

"You are unbelievable," LL stated, barely able to hold back the growl in his throat. "Is this State Alchemist position so important you'd sacrifice your own family to maintain it?!"

Tucker looked nonchalant at this. "I don't see why you're so upset. This is how we progress. Besides, If I don't do it, who will?"

* * *

 

"All men are not created equal."

* * *

"Shut up. Just shut your damned mouth," LL practically snarled, clutching Nina to him. "Do you seriously think you can get away with toying with people's lives like this?!"

Tucker chuckled at that. "'Toying with people's lives', you say? But that's just what your precious Edward did four years ago, with his leg, his arm, and his brother's life! And even you! How do you think you got the way you are with no memories?!"

_!_

"That's not true!"

"He and I are the same! It didn't matter that it was forbidden, we did so anyways!" Tucker cackled, a mad glint in his eyes.

It was all LL could do not to yell at Tucker and keep his voice steady, as he remembered the sadness in Edward's eyes as he talked of his mother in the broadcasting room. "Edward did human transmutation because when his mother died, he and Alphonse were so lonely without her, because they loved her with all their hearts; they did it so they could feel her warmth again, so that their lives could go back to the way they used to be. They had no way of knowing that it would turn out like this. You sacrificed your wife for a watch and a title and nearly did so again to your own daughter, and you were all too aware of what you were doing; so you're wrong, Edward is completely different from you, Shou Tucker!"

Tucker simply sneered. "Pretty words won't get you anywhere. It's a shame, but at least with this, I'll still have my state alchemist certification." With that, Tucker slapped his palms on the circle.

Blue crackled all around the young man in a circle. LL stiffened is surprise before adrenaline kicked in; he had to get out of there right now! He tried to get up with Nina, but his body wouldn't move. The blue crackled closer.

"I only tried one human and one animal before, I wonder what'll happen when I use one animal and two humans? Perhaps it might be even more effective?!" Tucker's wondered, his voice mad and cackling, barely audible over the crackling.

Then, LL felt Nina being tugged away toward Alexander. He became horrified as he saw her finger and his paw morph together "No!" he cried, trying to hold her closer but to no avail.

He couldn't let this fate befall Nina. She didn't deserve it. She simply didn't!

* * *

_A woman with long black hair and blank lavender eyes, covered in blood, lying over a little girl with brown hair and lilac eyes, shaking all over, eyes wide and glazed with shock._

* * *

_Another girl, with pink ringlets and pale blue eyes falling backwards, blood spreading over her torso like a blossom._

* * *

_The last girl, with orange locks and lime green eyes, lying in a pool of her own blood, staring at something or someone lovingly._

* * *

I can't lose anyone else.

* * *

Ed and Al burst into the room, seeing Tucker and the blue crackling all over the circle.

"What is this?!" Ed exclaimed.

"A human transmutation circle!" Al realized. "So that's why LL dragged us here!"

Tucker smiled eerily at the two boys. "You're just in time. In a few moments, you'll witness the birth of a talking chimera."

Ed grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him to the ground. "You bastard, how could you?!" he snarled.

"It's too late now! There's nothing you can do! Your friend couldn't do anything either!" Tucker laughed.

Ed stared, confusion turning into renewed horror. "You didn't-!"

"Brother, look!" Al's voice jolted Ed up. What he saw nearly made Ed question alchemy as a whole.

A flickering of red appeared in the circle, until it engulfed the whole thing, the blue energy then swallowed up and all Ed could see was the red. It wasn't just any red, no. This wasn't blood red, or ruby red or brick red. The only way to describe it was a _cold red_.

Then, the light crackled out and revealed the middle. LL was in the middle standing up, holding something to his chest. His eyes were no longer amethyst but the same red color as the light. For a brief moment, the same V-shaped design flashed on his forehead before disappearing. "LL..." Ed said, voice soft with awe.

The light disappeared a moment later. LL swayed briefly before falling to his side, still clutching the bundle.

"LL!" Ed and Al ran to his side. The young man was alive but unconcious. The two brothers looked at what he was holding, only to find Nina inside the coat. Her hair was pure white and her ears were floppier and furrier. She was curled up in his coat, sound asleep and oblivious to everything around her.

Alexander was gone.

* * *

 

"LL! LL! C'mon, wake up!" LL winced as he felt what was left of his head splinter open before his eyes fluttered before widening, seeing Edward by him, looking worried.

"Edward," he murmured softly, his voice raspy.

"It's okay; you're both okay," Edward said, almost hugging LL to him, his relief palpable. _Both...?_

_!_

"Nina!" LL exclaimed as he sat up. "Where-?"

Edward pointed to her, the little girl still in his arms. LL could have cried, he was so relieved and hugged the sleeping and oblivious child to him. "Oh Nina..." he murmured against her hair.

"No... NO!"

LL glanced up, seeing Tucker look completely baffled and shocked as he saw this. He dropped to his knees, hands clutching his head. "What have you done?! What have you done?! That was my last chance to pass the assessment!" he screamed angrily at them, clutching his hair.

"You bastard-!"

"You could never understand! You could never understand what it was like, living in the slums like that, trying to stay alive, never knowing whether or not you'd be able to feed or clothe yourselves!" Tucker's hands went over his face, clutching it in a vice grip. "YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND! NEVER!"

Alphonse's kick to the head ended Tucker's ranting and the man fell out cold onto the floor. LL stared almost incredulously at the armored boy before he turned back. The raven-haired young man shivered at the cold tone in Alphonse's voice as he said, "If he had said anything mroe, I'd be the next to snap."

* * *

Police and military men were inside the house. Tucker had been taken away in handcuffs to another part of the house until people from Central would come to escort him to a court martial and Edward and Alphonse was currelntly briefing Col. Mustang on what happened.

That was hours ago.

At the moment, LL was in Nina's room holding her in his arms, and he couldn't bring himself to let go of her ever again. She was awake, unaware of what nearly happened to her. It was utterly silent, the only sounds were that of breathing.

Nina clutched his shirtin an almost deathgrip as she rested her head against his chest and her legs on his thighs. LL's arms were wrapped around her tiny frame, his hands listlessly stroking her back and hair. For a moment, his right hand stopped and he looked at the mark on his palm for the umpteenth time. It was shaped more or less like a V, but not quite like it. To LL, it looked like a crane, just about to spread it's wings fully and fly.

_Why compare it to a "crane", though?_

"LL?" Nina said in a timid voice.

"Yes, Nina?"

"Is daddy going away, like mommy did?" she asked, eyes meeting his. Her eyes were no longer blue but an almost pinkish hue. They were also wet.

"I... I don't know, Nina. I just don't," he said softly, his tone wearied.

He couldn't tell her the truth. It would break her heart. She had no one now. Her mother was dead, her father was definitely going to prison (an insane asylum wasn't a far-fetched destination either); even her dog was gone.

LL lowered his head so he could look Nina in the eye. "Just please know, I'll be here by your side, I promise," LL vowed, kissing her forehead.

Nina smiled faintly. "Okay..." she murmured as she nuzzled his chest.

A moment later, the door opened. LL didn't look up as his hand gently smoothed over Nina's head. "Yes?" he asked absently, feeling completely tranquil.

There was no answer. After a few moments, LL looked up. It was a large and muscled man with nut-brown skin, white coat, black pants with a vertical yellow stripe and a white shirt underneath. Sunglasses were perched on his nose, shielding his eyes but not the x-shaped scar on his face, over his eyes and forehead.

"Who are you?" LL asked, rather startled by the man's appearance. _He's not from the military and this house is under arrest. How could he have gotten-_

Then, LL saw the blood on his hands. He stood up with a start, clutching Nina to him. "What do you want?" LL asked, trying to keep his voice and body from shaking.

The man said nothing as he walked to him. LL stepped back until he was up against the windows behind them but the man kept coming.

"Wait."

The man raised his hand.

"Don't."

He positioned it over Nina's face.

"Stop."

And he brought it down like lightning.

**"NO!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's about these apples?
> 
> Edward wouldn't bring up Colonel Mustang to anyone, unless he had to, I think.
> 
> LL's sibling instincts may be nonexistent, but his efforts to make Nina happy are enough.
> 
> Tucker! (hiss)
> 
> And we see the return of the Code and the Geass. I'll explain why the code is on his forehead later, I promise.
> 
> I saved Nina in a realistic way!
> 
> And cliffhanger comes, courtesy of Scar.
> 
> By the way, the reason the code was on LL's forehead was because CC had it on her forehead, and since they had a contract, the code would be in the same place as said contractor, regardless of where the code came from.
> 
> And I made this reason because I wanted Edward to see the code. Yes, I know it was really stupid to do that for such a reason and I'm very, very sorry.
> 
> Dialogue taken from manga and fma brotherhood anime.


	6. Ishbalan: Hypocritical Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How far are you willing to go for justice and revenge? Will you remain pure, even though you might never achieve this? Or will you sacrifice whatever it takes, even your own morals?

"... so Tucker used his wife and an unknown animal to create the talking chimera from two years ago?"

Mustang was debriefing Ed and Al back at East City headquarters just hours after the incident. Personal from Central would be arriving soon to take Tucker to Military Tribunal and bring Nina into their custody as well.

"That's right; we barely made it in time to stop him from turning Nina into one as well," Al replied.

"If LL hadn't gotten us up when he did, Tucker would have had a new talking chimera. And Nina..."

Ed trailed off, feeling his face scrunch up from the possibility of that future.

"You said that LL saved Nina from becoming a chimera; would you care to elaborate on that, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"When me and Al came in, the transmutation circle had already activated. From what Tucker said, LL was in the circle along with Nina and Alexander. And out of nowhere, this bizarre red light flickered inside the circle. I don't know what that light was or where it came from, but it stopped the process of human transmutation. And when it cleared up, I saw LL holding Nina to him, and..."

"'And' what, Fullmetal?"

Ed frowned as he thought of the scene in the room. LL, almost stepping out of the light, holding, no, clutching a sleeping Nina to his chest, his eyes the same red as the light and the mark shining on his forehead for just a moment, not so much as a V, but like a bird spreading its wings as in flight...

_That light seemed to come from LL himself! And what was with that mark? What would happen to LL if I told the colonel? He might just turn him over to Central to be used as research material-_

**SLAM.**

Ed was jolted out of his thoughts as Mustang's palms slammed down on the desk, his face mere inches away from Ed's, clear irritation on his features and a dangerous glint in his black eyes.

"Fullmetal, I have enough on my platter as it is without you keeping secrets that could very easily jeopardize my position. Now do you really want me to go back on my word?" he asked in a low, almost deadly voice.

Ed forced himself not to flinch as he returned the Col.'s gaze, gold staring back at black. Either way, he knew he had lost.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to swear to not breath a word of this to anyone, got it Col.? I won't go back on my word either," Ed bargained.

Mustang gave a groan and sat back down in his chair, his frown still present. "Fine then. Now-"

A knock from the door cut off the colonel. "What?!" he snapped, before calming himself, "I mean, what?"

An officer entered the room, looking shaken. "Col. Mustang, it's Shou Tucker. He's-"

* * *

Shou Tucker was sprawled on the floor in the room had had been confined to. His eyes were wide with the whites showing, his mouth agape in a soundless scream. His limbs looked like a doll's, out of sync and grotesque. A pool of blood under him was steadily growing. The tarp was replaced a second later.

Ed stared, horrified at what he was seeing, only Al's armored arms keeping him from collapsing from shock. He was already freaked out from seeing the two guards dead, but this was too much. He was still a child, by all rights. Mustang didn't have much of a reaction, though he did look a little surprised.

Two men from Central were already there, one was the same mustachioed man from the Freezer Alchemist incident, the other a green-eyed man with black hair and stubbly beard; both wore the blue military uniform.

"Col. Mustang, we were sent here to bring back Tucker alive," the green-eyed man said in a reprimanding tone as he gestured to the covered body. "Are you telling us to put a corpse on trial?"

If Ed wasn't so horrified, he would have been sick at how dismissively the man was taking this.

"Man, we didn't come all the way from Central to do an autopsy, you know..."

Mustang suppressed a frustrated growl as he pulled some of his bangs back, probably to keep them from strangling the other man. "Lt. Col. Hughes... you don't need to remind us of our mistake. Just please have a look."

"Well, if this guy really did use his wife as an experiment, it must have been divine justice," Hughes said, anger flashing in his eyes as he pulled up the tarp and examined the body closer.

"Eww, just as I thought," he grimaced before replacing the tarp and taking out a cloth to wipe the blood off his fingers. He turned to Mustang again. "The guards outside, did they die the same way too?"

Mustang nodded. "They were in pieces, or getting to be that way at least; as if they had been blown up on the inside."

Ed swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. _What a horrible way to die...!_

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, M. Armstrong?" Hughes asked the blond man next to him.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it. It's him all right," the other man agreed.

"Who are you talking about?" Ed asked, only to be cut off as another officer came up to the men.

"Sirs, you might want to see this," he said.

Mustang, Ed, Hughes, Alphonse and Armstrong followed him up and he lead them to Nina's room. Ed began to feel sick with anticipation; he didn't even allow himself to think of the man was going to show them, the ideas too horrible to think or visualize. The officer opened the door and Ed forced himself to look.

The room was empty, but the area by the window was splattered with blood.

"We also found a trail of blood that leads through the back door. Judging by the distance between the splatters, they were running pretty fast. We have yet to determine if it was because they were being chased or not," the guard replied.

"Tch, great..." Mustang growled.

Ed's eyes were locked on the blood splatters with only one thought processing.

_Whose blood is it? LL's or Nina's? ... or both?_

* * *

Deep in the mountains, there was a small, secluded villa. It had been built there recently to accommodate a very important person. No one but the royal family, the black knights and a few choice people outside of both groups knew it existed; even the construction workers who built it didn't know who it was for.

They didn't know they were creating the new hideout for "Zero" himself.

A whirring noise cut through the silence as a blue Knightmare frame descended in front of the villa. The cockpit opened and a young woman with spiky red hair, crystal-blue eyes and black uniform got out.

_So this is where he lives now, huh? Can't blame him._

Kallen looked at the villa from where she got out of the  _Gekka_ , for _Guren_ was still too damaged to be used yet. She walked up to the door, and knocked on the wooded surface. A buzz came from the intercom above the door and a familiar voice with the same metal-like quality asked, "Who is this?"

"Kallen," the redhead answered.

Another bzzt! and it became silent again. Then, after about a minute, the door opened. "Zero" stood before her, in his dark violet, flamboyant glory.

"Come in quickly," he said, showing her in. Kallen entered and "Zero" closed the door behind them and locked it.

"Suzaku, do you have to wear that mask? You're not Zero and you never will be. Now take it off," Kallen said, frowning at him.

He sighed before taking off the mask, his brown curls falling to their proper place and pulled down the face mask. "Sorry, you never know when paparazzi show up, even around here."

Kallen nodded. She knew all too well what Suzaku was talking about. "So, why did you call me over here?"

 "We can go over it upstairs. Follow me?"

The brunet walked upstairs, Kallen following behind. She surveyed all around the villa during this, said red-head almost marveling at the plain yet still elegant style of the place. It seemed that even the style of Britannia was changing along with its people.

She had to say she liked the direction that Britannia was going. While they still had a monarch, Nunnally was doing a fantastic job as ruler, focusing mainly on the people and their needs, helping the world in its efforts to rebuild the world. Still, she definitely couldn't say it was all peaches and cream.

There were still a lot of people out there who hated how Britannia has changed and the riots in Britannia were frequent, all lead by lord this, or duke that or lady that or countess this; they were all unsatisfied with how Britannia was now.

_They'll learn to adjust... eventually._

"Kallen?"

"Eh?"

Kallen snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Suzaku was staring at her quizzically before she simply waved it off.

"Keep it down, both of you. Some people are trying to sleep," a familiar and infuriating voice drawled from behind the door they were about to open.

_No way._

Kallen flung open the door, revealing a rather plain room with a single bed, desk, PC, bookcase and wardrobe. CC was sprawled on the bed in what appeared to be one of Suzaku's shirts, holding her beloved Cheese-kun plushie and rubbing her eyes. Kallen's eye twitched as she took this in. Suzaku walked past her, trying not to bump into her and get clear of the spat that might or might not happen.

Either way, he wasn't taking chances.

"Why are you two- I mean- What the hell are you doing in here?!" Kallen asked incredulously.

CC gave her a nonchalant look as she flopped onto her back. "When Lelouch still went to Ashford before the Black Rebellion, I lived in his room. He told me to never leave it, even. Same thing with the Black Knights, only I had more of a leash. And now I'm here, living with Suzaku, because I have nothing better to do. It's no big deal; for me at least. And it wasn't for him either back then."

Kallen stared, her mouth hanging open like a fish before regaining some of her composure when CC's words sunk in. "Lived with- Lelouch?" she gritted out, anger evident.

"Now before you say anything, let me say this: Lelouch definitely died, and is still to my knowledge, a virgin," CC said, smirking at how the anger vanished and Kallen's face became almost as red as her hair.

"Not to get us back on track or anything but..."

Suzaku slowly stepped in between them, gesturing to the screen of the computer. "Oh, right."

The three settled around the screen and Suzaku clicked on the report, opening it up. "Nunnally sent me this only a short while ago. I've already read over it, so..."

Kallen looked over his shoulder and after a few seconds, CC got up and looked too. "According to this, directly underneath Lelouch's tomb (Suzaku grimaced at this) is a covered up tunnel."

The photo was of the uncovering of the tunnel, which looked long, very well done, and very, very dark. Kallen felt a little nervous at seeing it. She had never seen anything so black before, even if it was only a photo. "But who would tunnel under his tomb, and why?" she asked softly, turning away from the picture.

"We don't have any leads yet and any men that they've sent through have all returned, well, traumatized. When we questioned them, they just kept repeating, 'the darkness... the darkness all around...' again and again," Suzaku said, frowning.

"The darkness..." CC repeated, brow furrowing as if trying to remember something.

"'The darkness'? What does that even mean?" Kallen wondered.

"We don't know yet. But we can't send anyone else down there unless we want them to end up like-"

A thud on the floor interrupted Suzaku. What he saw made him nearly leap out of his chair. "CC?!"

The green haired woman collapsed to the ground without any warning whatsoever. Suzaku and Kallen quickly rushed to either side of her.

"CC what's wrong?!" The brunet snapped, trying not to flinch back as an almost insane look that could only be evoked by the worst pain possible was revealed on CC's face.

Her hands clutched at her face, stifling the scream that begged to be released. Or was it because that was where she was feeling pain? Suzaku turned to Kallen, barking, "Get the first aid kit out of the closet, it's on the first shelf! Hurry!"

Kallen nodded and ran to the door, flinging it open and grabbing the white kit and bringing it over. Suzaku opened it up and grabbed the syringe he knew would be there and stuck the needle into CC's skin and pushed the liquid into her bloodstream. A minute passed and CC's movements became sluggish and finally, she stopped moving altogether.

"What was that?" Kallen wondered as she eyed the green-haired immortal.

Suzaku shook his head. "No idea."

"I meant what I just inject-"

"...ch."

They two turned back to CC, who was now huddled in a ball, tears trickling down her face and spoke a single word over and over again.

_"Lelouch. Lelouch. Lelouch."_

"...oh."

* * *

"'Scar'?"

Ed, Al, Hughes, M. Armstrong and Mustang were back at Eastern headquarters talking privately after investigating Tucker's house.

"That's what we called him, since we don't know his name," Hughes said.

"Not only is his background a mystery but we don't even know what kind of weapon he used to kill his victims. The only information we've received is that he has an x-shaped scar on his forehead," M. Armstrong put in. "In this year alone, he's killed five alchemists in Central, ten in the country."

"That many?" Alphonse said softly.

Mustang nodded. "Yes, now I know what you're talking about; we've heard rumors about him in East City, too."

Hughes pushed up his glasses as he said, "You know, just between us, I heard he even killed old man Grand."

Mustang looked startled at this. "Brigadier General Grand, the Iron-blooded alchemist?! But he's a military martial arts expert!"

 _He wouldn't have anything on my teacher,_ Ed thought, almost ruefully.

"I know it may sound crazy, but believe it or not, a guy this tough is roaming around the city. Here's my advice: double the security staff and lay low for a while." Hughes looked Mustang directly in the eyes as he said, "I'm asking you as a friend, Roy."

Mustang said nothing and Ed didn't try to dwell on it. "Still, he only well known alchemists in the area are you and Tucker, and Ed's here too..." Hughes mused before looking back at them. "Well, he doesn't know where either of you are and you're both safe here. That's a silver lining at least."

After a few more minutes of talking, the other men went on their business. Ed and Al stayed glanced over at the blond, who frowned. "Brother?"

"Do you think they're okay?"

Al knew who he meant. Even though they had only known both for a short time, LL and Nina had grown on the brothers. Ed knew what they had to do, or if Al didn't agree, what he had to do.

"We can't just sit here and wait," Ed said as he got out of his chair, determination flaring in his eyes. "If there's even the slimmest chance LL and Nina are alive, then we have to help them, it's as simple as that!"

* * *

He leaned against the sign post, allowing the rain to trickle down his face. He had taken off his sunglasses, revealing brick red eyes. For the first time in many years, the man was confused. He simply couldn't understand what had happened, how it had been possible.

_That person..._

* * *

"NO!"

The young man (the only way he could tell that this was no woman was his voice and the lack of certain body traits) immediately set the little girl down and shielded her with his own body, arms spread out wide.

He didn't waste any time and his hand shot forward at the young man, and grabbed his face before he could block him. This didn't stop the boy from glaring at the Ishvalan for all that he was worth.

Why are you doing this? What could you possibly gain from this? That was what the look said.

"I'll give you a moment to pray," he said simply.

A flash of confusion crossed in the young man's eyes and he raised a slight eyebrow. The familiar buzz of power sparked in his limb, starting from the upper arm where the tattoo began, traveling down his elbow, his wrist, finally crackling through his hand and fingers and thrusted inside the young man. The defiance turned to discomfort, then a grotesque mixture of shock and agony; all in the span of a second.

Blood splattered on the floor and window. The power fizzed out another second later, all discharged into the young man. His eyes were wide with the whites showing, his mouth half-opened as blood trickled down his mouth, eyes and nose. He slumped onto the ground in a heap with a sickening thud. The child stared at the young man, her eyes wide with shock before she slowly crawled to his side and began to gently shake his side.

"Mister LL. Mister LL, wake up. Please wake up," the child said as she continued to shake the corpse the Ishvalan knew the young man was now, tears beginning to form in her eyes as he remained limp.

He remained silent as he watched this, the all too familiar deja vu feeling creeping on him. He had witnessed too many children by their dead loved ones, shaking them, begging them to wake up, promising to do whatever they asked if they would just get up and tell them they were all right-

"LL please wake up!" the child cried, her voice becoming high pitched as her shaking became more violent and tears trickled down her face.

He couldn't bear to see or hear this anymore. No matter what happened, this child had no future. She would be taken to a lab and mercilessly experimented on. Even if she still looked human, she wouldn't be treated as such. The very least he could do now was ease her suffering. Sometimes, death was the only path left.

"How awful," he said softly, and he truly meant it. He walked to the girl's side.

She didn't notice him as she her hands dropped from the young man's side and began to sob in earnest. The reality of the situation had at last sunk in for the little girl. The young man named LL wasn't going to wake up ever again.

"Now that your father has done this to you, there's no way for you to return to normal," he said as he reached out his hand to her head.

"At the very least, go in peace."

His hand was about to brush her hair when he felt something grab his ankle. He looked down, startled to see LL's hand was wrapped around the limb like a vice. _Impossible! How is he still alive?!_

LL lifted his head, face covered in blood and cold red eyes with odd-shaped irises wide open, a blazing look inside them as they glared right back into his eyes, unafraid. His lips moved to form words, but he didn't hear them, and a red bird flew out of his eyes and-

* * *

He shook his head at the memory. When he had come to, he was standing in the room still, but the young man LL and the child Nina, were both gone, a trail of blood leading out of the room. He immediately made his way out of the house. After all, he had already killed Tucker so he no reason to stay.

Just what happened in there? How did this LL survive?

He had no idea, but he wasn't about to waste his time with questions. He had more fish to fry, or rather, more alchemists to bring to justice, and then salvation.

* * *

Nina struggled not to cry. But it was hard, so hard.

She was cold, she was tired and she was scared. It was really confusing to her; her daddy gave her some sleepy food and when she woke up, Mister LL was by her, holding her like mommy used to when she was really sad.

Then the house was full of guests who took daddy to his room for a timeout. She didn't like the looks that the guests gave her one bit, and they called her a "chimera" and looked at her like she was like a _thing_. Mister LL rescued her from them and gave them an angry look before taking her up to her room, patting her head her all the time really nicely.

Then the sunglasses man showed up.

Mister LL sounded really scared and he made her get behind him. The man grabbed Mister LL's face and then he fell onto the floor. Mister LL's face made Nina feel really scared; his eyes were white and wide and his mouth was open and red stuff was all over his shirt and pants and face-!

Nina shivered at the memory, trying to hold back her tears. She kept trying to wake him up, and he wouldn't move or speak. She thought that Mister LL would never wake up. And then, the man came over to her, saying some weird things but she didn't hear them.

Then, LL woke up and had this really scary look on his face and his eyes were different and he said in a really loud and stern voice, "Keep your filthy hands off of her." The man looked weird for a second before backing away. Then he scooped her up in his arms and ran out of the house and into the rain.

It was really cold and wet but Nina kept quiet and didn't complain. It hadn't been the time for words. LL kept running for a really long time, holding her to the point where it almost hurt. Finally, after a really long time, he stopped running and just sat down with a plop on the ground near the scary-looking ally that daddy always told her to stay away from.

LL's eyes were closed and he looked calmer now. The red stuff was still on his clothes and some was still on his face. Nina loosened one of her hands and brushed it against the skin. The fingers came back red.

The tears were getting harder to hold back now as Nina snuggled into LL's embrace tighter, gripping his now reddish shirt in her hands. She hoped that her daddy would come soon, and Alexander and big brother Ed and Al...

* * *

_The inside of the clock once more. The gears clunked together ominously all around. "Hello?" LL called out, waiting for the voice from before to call out._

_Then, he heard something behind him. He turned around, only to see the silhouette of a woman gazing at him. Light reflected off the tears trickling down her face. "Can you tell me-" he began, only for the woman's tears to fall down faster._

_"It's you. It's really you," she chocked/ whispered._

_"What do you mean?" LL asked, reaching out to her, only for the woman to run past him._

_Realizing that she wasn't talking to him, LL turned around to see whoever it was-_

* * *

"EDWARD!"

Alphonse's shriek slammed LL back into reality and his eyes snapped open. He looked down to see Nina clinging onto him, fear in her eyes. LL looked in the direction of the scream and back at Nina, torn. He wanted to go to them, but Nina-!

He put Nina down behind a rotting wooden crate. "Stay here, okay? I'll be right back, I promise."

Nina stared at him wordlessly, but nodded, understanding in her eyes. LL nodded back and ran as fast as he could in the direction of Alphonse's voice. He rounded the corner, then another and reached a street to see Alphonse, his armor all but destroyed, reaching out to the same man from before, standing over Edward, who was sitting on the street before him, his left hand clutching where his right arm used to be.

Abandoning any other thoughts, he sprinted over to Edward's side, shielding him from the man's view.

"LL, what-?!" Edward began, reaching out to the raven-haired male only for him to hold his arm out in front of the blond.

"Leave him alone, right now," LL said breathlessly, chest heaving as he looked up at the man.

The man stared at him, not even retracting his hand. "Why do you defend him?" he asked.

"He means everything to me, and he still has many things he has to accomplish and I don't want to see him die," LL responded, throat still ragged.

"He is a State Alchemist. One who has sold his soul to a corrupt government and who warps God's creations into something grotesque," the man said. "If you defend him then you are my enemy as well."

"If it gets you to leave him be, then fine!" 

"No, you idiot!" Edward cried, his hand gripping his shoulder, trying to pull him away.

"Edward, get out of here now, while you still have the chance," LL said softly, steeling him for the pain.

"Very well then; if you wish for death so readily, then I shall give it to you. I only wish you could have stepped aside," the man said solemnly, his right had rising to the same level as LL's face and brought it toward him the second time that day.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU DUMBASS!" Edward screamed at him, desperately.

"LL, MOVE!" Alphonse shrieked.

**BANG.**

_"That's enough!"_

The four of them glanced in the direction, seeing Col. Mustang, Lt. Hawkeye and Havoc, along with other armed officers, aiming their guns all at the man. "You won't be killing anyone else today, Scar!" the raven-haired officer barked. "I'm taking you into custody, where you will answer at the very least for the murder of ten state alchemists!"

The man, Scar, retracted his hand, which was barely an inch from LL's face. "If you interfere with my judgement, I will eliminate you as well," he said.

At that, a confidant smirk graced Col. Mustang's lips. "Is that so?"

He then handed his own gun to Lt. Hawkeye. "Col. Mustang, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Col. Mustang, as in the Flame Alchemist?" Scar said softly before his hand flexed and he stepped away from LL and Edward.

"Volunteering yourself to receive judgement; this is truly an auspicious day!" he proclaimed, breaking into a crouching run as he shot at Col. Mustang, who walked to the charging man confidently.

"So you know who I am, and you still want to challenge me?" he snarked, not noticing as Lt. Hawkeye ran from behind him. "Big mistake."

He snapped his fingers, only for a puff of smoke to come from them. Lt. Hawkeye swept his feet from under him, Scar's palm barely missing his face. The colonel whimpered/ squeaked as he stared at the man who was barely a few inches away from him. Lt. Hawkeye brought out the guns in her holster, shooting at the man, but Scar nimbly dodged the bullets, taking cover behind a building's alcove.

"What do you think you're doing, Lt?!" Col. Mustang cried indignantly, sprawled on the wet stone street.

"Need I remind you that you're useless whenever you're wet, please stay back, sir," Lt. Hawkeye responded respectfully.

Col. Mustang's head then jerked down as if a sign reading "USELESS" had fallen on it, further driving him to go into a funk as Lt. Havoc leisurely said, "Oh right, when its this wet out, you can't exactly get any sparks going, can ya?"

LL stared at the scene, incredulous. How was this even happening right now?

"So you're rendered powerless when wet, hmm?" Scar scowled as he observed the others before him. "Whether they be state alchemists, or those who would even think of getting in my way; I'll eliminate you all!"

"I'd like to see you try."

**CRASH!**

Scar jumped out of the way of the giant fist, the impact shattering the cobblestone. "More reinforcements?!" he growled in surprise.

"Impressive; not many can dodge my fists like you did," the fist-thrower said as he removed it from the stone.

Edward groaned.

Lt. Havoc sweat-dropped.

"You said you'd eliminate everyone here, hmm?"

Alphonse said nothing.

Col. Mustang didn't notice anything, as he was still wallowing.

Lt. Hawkeye simply sighed, annoyed.

"Tsk! More who dare interfere? I'll kill you as well if you get in my way!"

"Again, I'd like to see you try!"

The same giant hulking blond man from the hospital reared up, brandishing his fist, which was covered with a fingerless greave with spikes adorning where the material met his knuckles. "Enter, Alexander Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist!"

Scar's fist clenched. "They keep appearing one after another, these state alchemists; is this a gift from God?"

LL's insides clenched in anticipation. This street's about to become a battle field. _I need to get Edward and Alphonse to safety._

He gently hooked an arm under Edward's arm, raising him up to his feet. "Come on," he said gently, pulling the unusually unresponsive blond from the fray and over to the other side of the street and to Alphonse, setting Edward by the alley wall to inspect the armored boy to find that his leg and much of his side had been disintegrated.

"Alphonse, are you all right?" LL asked softly, laying a land on the armored boy's armor, careful to stay away from the spikes.

"I'm fine, now anyways, but I can't move," he replied.

"Do you know who that man is?" the raven-haired man asked as he watched the two men go at, Scar's hand smashing the in-coming spike sprouting out of the cobblestone street.

"He's a serial murderer who targets state alchemists. He's the one who killed Mr. Tucker," Alphonse informed him.

LL gasped slightly as he attention was stolen again.

"M., be careful! You'll tear apart the city at this rate!" Lt. Havoc yelled.

"What did you say?!" the blond bellowed before ripping off his shirt and revealing, once again, his muscle-bound torso.

"DESTRUCTION AND CREATION ARE TO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! IN ORDER TO CREATE, SOMETHING MUST INEVITABLY BE DESTROYED AND VICE VERSA! FOR THAT IS THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE!"

LL twitched vehemently at the sight of the half-naked man, muscles flexing and pink sparkles shimmering all around him. "Did he have to take off his shirt in the middle of a fight...?" he asked weakly.

"I'm surprised you're surprised; he's clearly mental," Edward dead-panned.

M. Armstrong snorted. "'Mental', huh? As an alchemist, you wouldn't share the same sentiments, wouldn't you Scar?"

Scar's eyes narrowed.

"Wait, so does that mean Scar's an alchemist?!" Col. Mustang exclaimed, suddenly recovered from his funk.

"Is he really an alchemist?" LL wondered.

"It would make sense," Edward said softly as the fight continued.

"There are three major parts to alchemy: understanding, knowing of the basics and powers of alchemy, deconstruction, the process of breaking down, and reconstruction, the process of rebuilding. But this guy clearly stopped at the deconstruction stage, that's why he can only use alchemy that physically deconstructs."

_But that would mean that he's contradicting himself by using alchemy to punish those he thinks is wrong. And why only target state alchemists? There are other skilled alchemists who aren't part of the military; Alphonse is proof of that._

Just then, Armstrong cornered Scar against a building, but Scar quickly shot at him as the blond man swung at him, only for said man to jump backwards.

BANG!

Lt. Hawkeye held a rifle, pointed at Scar with smoke trailing from the barrel. He had dodged the shot, though.

She fired again. He dodged once more.

However, the third shot hit home, as blood trickled down his temple, his sunglasses clattering on the street. He steadied himself quickly.

"Did you get him?" Col. Mustang asked.

"He's fast; I only grazed him," came her reply.

The man grimaced and his eyes snapped open, revealing brick-red irises. Surprise flitted across the two alchemists and the snipers face.

"Red eyes and brown skin-!" Armstrong gasped.

"He's an Ishbalan!" Col. Mustang realized.

"Tsk..." Lt. Hawkeye grimaced.

"It seems I'm at a disadvantage now," Scar remarked softly.

The officers clicked their guns, but Col. Mustang waved them down for a moment. "Do you really think you'll be able to escape?"

At that, Scar's palm slammed onto the pavement, destroying the ground beneath him and around him and fell under the streets. "Damn it; he escaped into the sewers!" Lt. Havoc snapped.

"Don't follow him," Col. Mustang said.

"As if I'd do something so stupid!"

The Col. turned to Armstrong. "I'm sorry, Major, even after you bought us time-"

"There's no need to apologize," M. Armstrong replied, looking a bit winded now. "I wasn't buying time, I was trying to stay alive."

"Oh, it's all over now, right?"

LL blinked, then realized that there was a man hiding behind Alphonse, with black hair, stubbly beard, green eyes and glasses, wearing the same military blue uniform as the other officers he knew.

"Lt. Col. Hughes, where have you been until now?" M. Armstrong asked.

"Hiding, duh!" the man replied matter-of-factly.

"You were supposed to provide back-up, you dunce!" Col. Mustang snapped.

"Hey, a mundane person like me doesn't belong on the battlefield with the rest of you freak-shows!" Lt. Col. Hughes retorted.

"Why you-!"

LL missed the rest of the conversation as he remembered- Nina! He shot up and raced back around the corner, Edward's voice calling after him. He rounded the next corner, reaching the ally where he left Nina behind the crate-

Gone.

She was gone.

LL checked all around the alley, but found no one.

_Nina was gone._

* * *

Ed's eyes widened as LL raced away and he looked back at his little brother.

"Go; he might need your help," Alphonse said gently. Ed nodded in gratefulness. "Stay safe," he said softly and ran off in the direction his friend went.

He could hear the other just up ahead, his footsteps echoing as the rain became a mere drizzle before he rounded the next corner. "LL!"

The raven-haired man was on his knees, his fingers digging into the pavement hard. He ran to the young man's side, LL not even noticing him as his fingers began to bleed as they clutched at the street below them. Anger gnawed at Ed, the memory of LL trying to sacrifice himself so impudently and thoughtlessly all too fresh in his mind.

He grabbed LL's collar, pulling the young man up to his face. "What the hell were you thinking, trying to throw away your life like that?! You wanted to help me and Al, but you can't do that if you're dead!" Edward shouted.

LL said nothing, his face, hidden by his hair. Edward's temper rose at the lack of a response. "If you ever try to throw away your life like that, I'll never, ever forgive you!"

"Nina..."

Ed started in surprise at the response as LL looked at him. His face was wet, whether from the rain or tears, he didn't know. But the expression on LL's face was nothing short of broken.

"She's gone, Edward," he whispered, hands now clinging onto Ed's shirt. "I told her to wait for me here, behind that crate, until I came back, but when I returned- when I returned-"

He broke off, burying his face into the blond's shoulder. Ed's eyes softened, and he ignored feeling like the biggest ass in the world as his hand gently smoothed the black hair, holding the other close to him. "It'll be okay, she probably just wandered away for a moment. We'll find her."

He kept repeating those words over and over again as they were driven away back the Eastern HQ, anything to ease the other's mind.

* * *

"The Ishbalans were once a group of middle-eastern Amestris who worshiped a single God called Ishvala. Now, while Ishval and Amestris both have had their differences and skirmishes, it all escalated to civil war when an Amestrian officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child thirteen years ago. Needless to say, this didn't go over so well. The riots spread over the eastern part of Amestris until seven years later, the military issued a new tactic against them: using state alchemists in an all-out genocide campaign. they were recruited as human weapons, used to test their suitability to war. I was one of them. That's why there's a certain justice that one of the last remaining Ishbalans seek revenge."

The young man's fists clenched around the towel resting over his shoulders. If he didn't believe he couldn't get any sicker from last night, LL was proven wrong by what Col. Mustang just told them all back at Eastern HQ. To think that they would go to such lengths just to quell a few riots-!

_No wonder Scar looked so angry; anyone would be after that._

"It's still not justice," Edward said, frowning. "Whatever happened, he involved innocent people and even alchemists who didn't even have to do with Ishval in any way. He's just candy-coating it by acting self righteous and calling himself an 'instrument of God'."

"Either way," Lt. Col. Hughes said, "we're dealing with a guy who persecutes alchemists when he himself uses the same power for vengeance. So he's either insane or simply apathetic to other people's opinions; whether he's one or the other, we're still dealing with one of the most dangerous kind of people there are. Frankly, he scares me."

Col. Mustang simply rested part of his face on his hands, calmly replying, "We can't care what people think of us, either," at this, his black eyes became colder, "they'll be no explanations the next time we meet."

_"Because we'll kill him."_

LL said nothing but looked down. He was all too aware that if he wasn't with Edward and Alphonse, then they would probably silence him just for listening to all of this. Still, this was kind of scary for him to listen to, to hear other people planning to kill another human.

"On that cheerful note, that's enough of this pointless conversation. So where are you three going then?" Lt. Col. Hughes asked them as he got up.

Edward glanced over at Alphonse. "Well, I want to fix Al up, but I can't do that with one arm-"

"Shall I fix him?" M. Armstrong asked, his shirt discarded and flexing those ridiculous muscles of his.

LL felt what little was left in his stomach start to travel up his throat, which he swallowed back a second later.

 _"NO THANK YOU,"_ Alphonse said in a loud voice.

"I'm the only one who knows how to keep Al's soul bonded to that armor. But first, I need a new arm."

Lt. Hawkeye nodded. "Yes, because without alchemy you're..."

"A little brat who swears a lot," Lt. Havoc finished for her.

"An arrogant pip-squeak," Lt. Col. Hughes put it.

"Useless, just useless!" Col. Mustang smirked.

"Sorry big brother but I don't know how to follow that," Alphonse apologized.

"Neither do I, they make a valid point," LL admitted.

 **"YOU'RE ALL PICKING ON ME!"** Edward yelled angrily before sighing in resignation. "Looks like I don't have a choice. I have to go see my mechanic."

"Mech-"

_Dummy, his arm's made of metal, LL thought, mentally slapping himself._

"Dismissed."

With that, the other officers, besides , saluted smartly. Edward, Alphonse and LL got up to follow them out.

"Fullmetal," Col. Mustang addressed the blond.

Edward looked back. "Yeah?"

"I have to borrow LL Would you come over here?"

LL glanced back at Col. Mustang as he motioned him over.

"Okay..." Edward said before giving a short, reassuring pat on LL's shoulder before going out.

The door closed after him.

Col. Mustang fixed LL with an almost blank calm as he motioned him to come in front of him. LL walked forward, beginning to feel slightly foreboded. "Yes, Col.?"

Col. Mustang looked at him straight in the eye, a cold expression on his face. LL felt a slight sweat break on his brow and a sharp shudder went up his back. "You've caused a lot of grief for me as of late; not only did I have to cover for you when you first appeared, but your little fiasco at Tucker's just about cost me my position. Now I have to explain what you were doing there and find some sort of explanation for that-"

At that, he pointed to the mark on LL's palm and his eyes (which looked normal now).

Col. Mustang leaned in closer, looking the young man squarely in the eye. "I don't know who or what you are LL, but you had better not try something like that again, or you'll get not only yourself in trouble but the people around you into, including Fullmetal as well (not that I give a damn what he thinks unless it jeopardizes me in any way). Understand?"

LL could only nod mutely at this.

* * *

(Sniff sniff)

There were no words LL use to even convey whatever he felt as tears coursed down M. Armstrong's face. The others looked as, whatever they felt.

"OH EDWARD ELRIC, I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOU!" M. Armstrong bellowed as he eclipsed Edward in a bone-crushing hug, eliciting shireks of pain from the blond.

"What unyielding love to try and bring your mother back to life! What a tremendous sacrifice to give up your arm in order to transmute your brother's disembodied soul! What determination to bear the title State Alchemist all for the sake of getting back to normal!" he sobbed.

Wait, how does he know all this?!

Edward leaned over to Col. Mustang, twitching as he asked, "Uh, so who told him, Col.?"

Col. Mustang looked a bit freaked as he replied, "Well... when the M. is leaning on you, it's hard not to tell him..."

LL was about to reply to that when the major pulled him in a tight hug, bawling once more. The breath in his body was completely driven out of his body and he felt pain in his back and chest from the arms wrapped around him. "OH LL, I'VE HEARD OF YOU, EVEN IF IT IS LITTLE!"

An almost gurgling noise came out of LL's mouth as he flailed in the blond's arms, trying to get out of his grip.

"How tragic, to think that you know so little of yourself; that your life is all but nonexistent in the world of your memories! But never fear! You have people willing and able to help however they can!" he cried before finally letting go of LL to wipe away his tears with a frilly handkerchief.

If he wasn't so busy trying to refill his lungs, LL would have twitched.

"Anyways, knowing the details of your pasts, that's why I've decided to be your escort to your engineer!" M. Armstrong proclaimed.

"What?!"

_Please God, or any existing deity, don't let this man be in our presence anymore!_

"You must be crazy, I don't need a guard!" Edward snapped.

"Edward," Lt. Hawkeye said sternly, "you're planning to travel alone in that state when Scar is out there, hunting alchemists and could attack you at any time; of course we're going to assign you a guard, otherwise you'll be defenseless."

"Plus, there's no way you'd be able to carry Al like that," Lt. Havoc added.

"But does it have to be him?" LL asked, almost imploringly.

"I've got a ton of work waiting for me in Central," Lt. Col. Hughs said.

"I can't leave the East HQ," Col. Mustang put in.

"I'm too busy baby-sitting the Col.," Lt. Hawkeye replied.

"I'm not nearly strong enough to protect you from someone that dangerous," 2nd Lt. Havoc admitted.

"Us too," Sergeant Fuery, Warrant officer Falman and 2nd Lt. Breda all echoed.

"Then it's decided!" M. Armstrong proclaimed, patting Edward and LL's heads forcefully.

"NOTHING'S DECIDED!" they both nearly shrieked.

"Now boys, don't talk to your elders like that," Maj. Armstrong began.

That did it.

LL rounded at M. Armstrong, snapping, "How dare you! I'm not even a child! It's perfectly acceptable to treat Edward and Alphonse as children-"

"HEY!"

"But I'm eighteen, and so I'm legally an adult! You can't treat me like that, and I don't care if you know best!"

LL cut himself off more out of surprise rather than finality. It wasn't so much as what he said as was how he said it. LL had never heard himself speak in such a commanding tone other than with Scar; and the scary part was that it felt right to talk in such a way, like he deserved to.

The officers looked at him with mild surprise, Edward and Col. Mustang looking slightly impressed with him. M. Armstrong, much to his chagrin, was unfazed by his outburst as he heartily patted his back, saying, "Ah, how good it is to be young again! I hope you treasure the time you have at this age!"

"Oh Ed, LL, this is the first time since I became this armor that someone's treated me like a kid!" Alphonse cried happily, eyes sparkling.

I can't take it anymore...

A rather evil look was now on Col. Mustang's face, an equally evil aura around him as he addressed Edward and LL, "If you two have a problem with it, I wouldn't mind getting you court martialed, and you," Col. Mustang turned to LL, " relocated to a nice, comfy laboratory with some nice, friendly scientists."

"Why you-!" Edward and LL both growled indignantly.

* * *

LL attempted to make himself a bit more comfortable, which as next to impossible, seeing is how he was sandwiched between Edward and M. Armstrong. Just then, he heard a tap on the window. He glanced out to see Lt. Col. Hughes.

"What is it, Lt. Col.?" Edward asked.

"The guys were too busy, so I came alone to see you guys off. Oh, and I have a message from Roy for you."

"A message?"

"'I won't allow you to die in my jurisdiction because it'd be a pain to clean up the mess.'"

_Well, that certainly sounds like Col. Mustang._

Edward smirked irritably before replying back, "Fine. Tell him that 'I'll never die before you, Col. shit'."

_Lovely._

Lt. Col. Hughes just laughed at that. "They say the ruder you are, the luckier! In that case, you and Roy are gonna live forever!"

Just then, the train whistle blew, signalling the start of their journey. "All right then! Have a safe trip, all of you! And let me know if you're ever in Central!" Lt. Col. Hughes said, saluting smartly.

Edward and M. Armstrong returned it and LL waved good-bye before the train began moving.

* * *

 

"Edward?"

"Yeah, LL?"

"This person, your mechanic, do they specialize exclusively in automail?"

"Sort of. To be more accurate, they're a surgeon weapon smith specializing in prostheses. And of course, specializing in automail as well. They'll give me a good deal since I've known them for a long time. They do great work as well."

"I see. Where exactly do they live?"

"It's just a quaint little town in the east, nothing around for miles."

Edward shook his head at that. "No. Actually, everything got destroyed because of the civil war in the east. It might have been a bustling city if the military had been more on top of things."

"You're starting to hurt my ears," M. Armstrong remarked.

"That's good, should I say more?" Edward asked sarcastically.

"I would like to hear more," LL said truthfully.

At that, a soft, reminiscent smile graced Edward's lips as he stared out the window. "... It's a really quiet place. It's in the middle of nowhere, but it has a lot of things that you can't get in the city; that's me and Al's hometown... Resembool."

So that place is where Edward and Alphonse grew up. No wonder he didn't want anyone to go with him; he didn't want them to see anything more than they already had.

Edward turned to M. Armstrong. "You did remember to put Al on the train, right?"

M. Armstrong nodded. "Of course. He's with the sheep."

_Sheep?_

_Oh no._

"You put him in the livestock car?!" LL exclaimed incredulously.

"I thought he might get lonely by himself-"

"MY BROTHER ISN'T SOME KIND OF FARM ANIMAL! THAT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THE LUGGAGE CAR!" Edward yelled at the M. indignantly.

LL stood straight up. "I'm gonna go check on him," he announced to no one, rather to himself and left the scene, Edward's yelling and M. Armstrong's matter-of-fact reasoning still echoing in his ears.

He made his way through the cars before he was one way from the livestock car. As he ran over to the door, he misstepped and went crashing forward, only to be stopped when someone from behind him grabbed his arm and whirled him around until he came face-to-face, or rather face-to-chest with his rescuer.

"Oh my, are you all right?" A smooth, melodious voice asked.

For a moment, LL though it was the voice from his dream. Except when he looked up, he didn't see lime green hair and honey yellow eyes but wavy black hair, violet cat-like eyes and red lipstick further pronouncing her lips. He also saw what he was pressed against.

He felt his face burn as he quickly pulled away, muttering, "Sorry miss."

"Oh it's quite all right. I couldn't let such a pretty face get bruised, now could I?" the woman said, a gloved hand caressing LL's cheek.

"T-thanks?" LL nearly squeaked out.

In any other situation, he would have scolded himself for sounding like that, except this wasn't any other situation, and he definitely didn't expect this attention ever being given to him. "U-um, if you'll excuse me-!"

With that, LL practically dashed to the livestock car, leaving the woman alone.

* * *

The smile turned into a triumphant smirk.

_He was right, he survived after all. After that little stunt he pulled back there, we weren't sure if he was dead or not. Now, I know._

As she caressed his cheek, she saw it; the crane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue taken from the fma manga and brotherhood anime.

**Author's Note:**

> Thus, my first story on this website as been posted. It's kind of strange using this website now, but I'll get the hang of it eventually.
> 
> For the next few weeks, I'll be focusing mainly on posting my stories from fanfiction.net onto here until otherwise.


End file.
